the missional community

Puritan Prayer~ Christ The Word

2012-01-31T12:19:00.000-06:00

MY FATHER,

In a world of created changeable things,
Christ and his Word alone remain unshaken. O to forsake all creatures,
To rest as a stone on him the foundation,
To abide in him, be borne up by him! For all my mercies come through Christ,
Who has designed, purchased, promised, effected them. How sweet it is to be near him, the Lamb,
Filled with holy affections! When I sin against thee I cross thy will, love, life,
And I have no comforter, no creature, no go to. My sin is not so much this or that particular evil,
But my continual separation, disunion, distance from thee,
And having a loose spirit towards thee. But thou hast given me a present, Jesus thy Son,
As mediator between thyself and my soul, As middle-man who in a pit
Hold both him below and him above, For only he can span the chasm breached by sin,
And satisfy divine justice. May I always lay hold upon this mediator,
As a realized object of faith,
And alone be worthy by his love to bridge the gulf. Let me know that he is dear to me by his Word; I am one with him by the Word on his part,
And by faith on mine; If I oppose the Word I oppose my Lord when he is most near; If I receive the Word I receive my Lord wherein he is nigh. O thou who hast the hearts of all men in thine hand,
Form my heart according to the Word, According to the image of thy Son,
So shall Christ the Word, and his Word, be my strength and comfort.

Taken from: The Valley of Vision A collection of Puritan prayers and devotions

Meaghan's Notes~ part 4 of Hebrews 6

2012-01-24T12:05:00.003-06:00

Once again, I am sharing the notes that my daughter took over the sermon this week over Hebrews. This week we looked at Hebrews 6: 13-20, of course we needed to take a tour in Genesis in order to put Abraham's promises / oath into perspective.

Hebrews 6:1-20 (part4)
The Certainty of Gods Promise
...God never ever turns away genuine repentance, EVER!
Hope, we can find hope in Jesus
Rest in the full assurance of hope until the end.
'Surely I will bless you and multiply you'
This leads us to look at Geneses
Gen12:1-15:1-22:1-
..Great nation, bless you, make your name great, you Will be a blessing, you Will bless those who bless you, whoever curses you I Will curse them, and all the peoples on earth Will be blessed through you..
...I am your shield your very reward.. Abram believed the Lord..God credited him with righteousness..
...you fear God...because you have done this I will surely bless you..
..I swear on my name

Back to Hebrews..
Move from a promise to a covenant oath..I swear by my name by myself..
If you swore in Hebrew time and went against it you broke a commandment..
...'We who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement to hold fast to the hope set before us..'vs18
Our hope must be sure!
Our hope can not be subjective~based on ourself ..... it must be objective~ based on Christ..
Anchor..you are grounded to Jesus;
make him your anchor for your soul..Grounds us..hold you still in one place,
word of god tells us to continue to move..do not become sluggish.. be imitators..patientce / waiting
... walking in the truth of your ways, we wait on you for your name and renown are the desires of our hearts
You can find clarity in Christ alone when you anchor yourself to him..
Hold fast..when you love you love well when you greave you greave well..
Is 26:8 Wait!
God keeps us by our Faith
What will you rest in? Hope of the gospel..

Meaghan

Sovereign Grace~ Spurgeon

2012-01-18T21:03:00.001-06:00

I cannot understand the reason why I am saved, except upon the ground that God would have it so. I cannot, if I look ever so earnestly, discover any kind of reason in myself why I should be a partaker of Diving grace. If I am not at this moment without Christ, it is only because Christ Jesus would have His will with me, and that will was that I should be with Him where He is, and should share His glory

Meaghan's Notes... part 2 and 3 of Hebrews 6

2012-01-17T08:20:00.001-06:00

These are my daughter's notes from part 2 and 3 of Hebrews 6. We have been walking through Hebrews for the past several months and I love posting my daughter's notes. Her notes serve as a great tool for me to read and understand what people are getting from what is being taught. She is in the 9th grade and I love her heart for the Lord. I am so proud of what she is allowing the gospel to do in her, to her, and through her.

Hebrews 6:1-12 (part2)
.......Psalms 119:97-112
--Warning Against Apostasy--
..God is not unjust
When he permits us it gives us a time to rest. Rest in him.
Think..
3 ways to look at text::
1 lose salvation
2 a warning 'if' -hypothetical
3 Been influenced by the gospel but haven't tasted the fullness of the gospel. No believer living in sin can not enjoy the perseverance.
Has there been a genuine transformation in someones life
Possession and profession
There are times in peoples lives when they just turn their back.
He gives us warnings...
They have tasted the gospel; but haven't 'finished the meal'
Been enlightend
Shared in the holy spirit
- holy spirit convicts us
Is it possible to sit under the conviction of the holy spirit and not respond? Yes!
You can sit and be enlightened by the gospel, but they still want the former way...turn their back...fallen away
--judas--one of the boys; was enlightend, tasted, rolled with the peeps, publicly renouced God
Have you had a repented heart?
- after the taste ~ religious traditions...
- turned their backs on the gospel
Vs8. But if it bears thorns and thistles, it is worthless and near to being cursed, and it's end is to be burned.
If you turn your back on the very things that lead us to repentance, will you ever be able to repent?
After being enlightened are you able to take the 'punch' the ways of the gospel?
Romans 7:15-25
We are relying on the gospel.
Are you going to profess you are saved?
Are you walking through religious tradition, or have you had a hardened heart, or a repenting heart?
How are you sitting?
When things get hard some just bail, because they thought that things would be easier...easier with salvation.
Were spiritually immature.
Most of us want a christian reality without the reality of a christian walk.
Some of us have been dating Jesus way to long, we need to fall in LOVE with him!!(;
2tim 2:19

-meaghan(;

Hebrews 6:1-12 (part3)
....start on vs9
Concern 4 their spiritual welfare
The encouragement given is grounded in the nature of God and how he loves us and keeps us. Gods justice will be served. He is not unjust. Sin is punished. Progress is recognized
..vs10- For God is not unjust so as to overlook your work and the love that you e shown for his name in serving the saints, as you still do.
..understanding that God keeps us
God has given us each day to show us what he has given us..
..don't just show up and do the deal, show up and worship the King of Kings and Lord of Lords!
We need to confess that we are a mess and sinners.
God calls us and compels us. To do things that are a part of the gospel
Genuine faith-
..does your life look any diff than it did after your life was changed by Christ?
1Thess 1:2
Constantly mentioned on how we are living-
Has to be practical- the encouragement of the lord.
What happens when you fall in love? Willing to give everything...fall in love with Christ alone and stop dating him~ marry him and love him with your whole heart!!!
Teaching and modeling Christ can be two different things!
~you can profess but still not possess
Model your life after the gospel.
Praise be to God that he keeps us!

You have got to be diligent
Vs11..And we desire each one of you to show the same to have the full assurance of hope until the end.
Sluggishness-LAZY! BORED!
Encouragement is to hold onto Jesus! In this be diligent in this, and be patient..disciplined
Practice Patience!
Step away from the very things that pull you away from God.
Be encouraged...
Hold on to our sovereign God
Think of Abraham and how he was told to sacrifice his son, and how he followed through with what Christ called him to do, the. In the end he was saved, God gave him a ram in the place of his son. Be patient with the Father. (He will be our provision)

Meaghan(;

The Church

2012-01-16T11:27:00.001-06:00

There was a time when the church was very powerful--in the time when the early Christians rejoiced at being deemed worthy to suffer for what they believed. In those days the church was not merely a thermometer that recorded the ideas and principles of popular opinion; it was a thermostat that transformed the mores of society... If today's church does not recapture the sacrificial spirit of the early church, it will lose its authenticity, forfeit the loyalty of millions, and be dismissed as an irrelevant social club with no meaning for the twentieth century. Every day I meet young people whose disappointment with the church has turned into outright disgust.

This was written in 1963, almost 50 years ago. They are the words of Martin Luther King, Jr., penned in his Letter from a Birmingham Jail. And they have proved to be exceptionally accurate.

Dominican_Republic

2012-01-12T12:23:00.000-06:00

This video was put together by, Andy Henderson, one of our students who went to the Dominican with us this past December. The song used in the video is called "Rescue The Perishing" by Jackie Castro

Meaghan's Sermon Notes~

2012-01-03T10:33:00.000-06:00

Once again, I wanted to share with you the notes that my daughter took, on her phone, during my sermon on January 1, 2012 as we continued our series in Hebrews. This Sunday, we covered Hebrews 6:1-12, but to be honest we covered, in reality, the first three verses. Here are her notes. I love the fact that she is listening and allowing the truths of the gospel to bring about transformation in her life.

"1 Therefore let us leave the elementary doctrine of Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, 2 and of instruction about washings,[a] the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. 3 And this we will do if God permits."

Hebrews 6:1-12

Therefore-
(Hebrews5)__Have to practice the basic truths of the gospel to grow and mature in Christ. Stand firm on the foundation of Jesus Christ.

....If God permits
Foundation is Jesus- and we can build on this foundation.
..God is in control of all things
God has the final say in everything we do, in weather or not we will step into maturity but it is God who permits us.
If God permits; he can give us maturity when we push 'press on' to maturity it will be him who permits the maturity to us.
God equips you:
To him be the glory forever and ever amen..

You can rest in the fact that God is in control; rest in the hope of the gospel..In control of ALL things..
As we live our life knowing He is in control it is another testimony that he will save and reconcile us and that he can permit us to maturity.
He is giving us Grace when he is permitting us maturity
God does not OWE us the Grace that he gives us..
He doesn't OWE, He just gives so we can conquer our rebellion..
He could in fact leave us in our rebellion but he gives us Grace..

We must have Faith in God... Permitting us allowing us to mature is him giving us Grace.
...to be moved by Grace

God governs our progress into being mature
He governs our sanctification

Is it important to press towards that maturity or are you just going to sit there and watch things happen; press strongly into your maturity?

We have to work do our duty and our delight has to be pressing towards the gospel for what he has for us.
God does not remove your obligation to delight into pressing toward the gospel

Gods sovereignty; you can rest in.

Puritan Prayer~ The Greatest Gift: The Incarnation

2011-12-27T10:30:00.001-06:00

O Source of all good,

What shall I render to You for the gift of gifts,
thine own dear Son, begotten, not created,
my Redeemer, proxy, surety, substitute,
his self-emptying incomprehensible,
his infinity of love beyond the heart’s grasp.

Herein is wonder of wonders:
he came below to raise me above,
was born like me that I might become like him.

Herein is love;
when I cannot rise to him he draws near on
wings of grace,
to raise me to himself.

Herein is power;
when Deity and humanity were infinitely apart
he united them in indissoluble unity,
the uncreated and the created.

Herein is wisdom;
when I was undone, with no will to return to him,
and no intellect to devise recovery,
he came, God-incarnate, to save me
to the uttermost,
as man to die my death,
to shed satisfying blood on my behalf,
to work out a perfect righteousness for me.

O God, take me in spirit to the watchful shepherds,
and enlarge my mind;
let me hear good tidings of great joy,
and hearing, believe, rejoice, praise, adore,
my conscience bathed in an ocean of repose,
my eyes uplifted to a reconciled Father;
place me with ox, ass, camel, goat,
to look with them upon my Redeemer’s face,
and in him account myself delivered from sin;
let me with Simeon clasp the new-born child
to my heart,
embrace him with undying faith,
exulting that he is mind and I am his.

In him, you have given me so much
that heaven can give no more.

~ “The Gift of Gifts”
taken from The Valley of Vision

Back Home

2011-12-20T08:52:00.002-06:00

Well, it is now Tuesday and I have been back in the states for a total of 2 days. My heart is still processing all of things that took place on my recent trip to the Dominican Republic. Every time I go back, I leave a portion of my heart there. I am falling more and more in love with the people there.
Today, I am heading out to deliver Christmas to a needy family in our community that our church has adopted. I am so fortunate to be a part of a faith family that takes to heart the call to "the least of these" and the mandate to "do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly". It is the thing that resonates with me the most right now as I struggle with coming back to the states and feeling the urge to go and buy gift, after gift, after gift for my own family and pleasure. Yes, I am thankful and blessed that I can do these things but is it really what I am supposed to do, in light of the gospel?
We live during a time when the economy is not what it should be and nowhere near what it used to be. There are people who are hurting and in need all around us, and yet we will still stand in line for the newest gadget, pay top dollar for a 16oz cup of coffee, and drive for miles and miles to go get that "one special gift". Yet, all the while, people all around us need hope! They need the gospel lived out around them. They need the one and only thing that will get them through the trials and heartbreaks of life, Jesus!
On our last night in the Dominican, we took some time reflecting on what the Lord had done in us, to us, and through us. We asked questions like, "what does this mean for you, when you get back home". My answer was simple. More Sacrifice

DominicanRepublic9

2011-12-17T19:44:00.001-06:00

Today was our last day in the Dominican Republic. We had a great time this morning at breakfast and then spent the afternoon in Boca Chica at the beach. This has always been a great way for the students to have a relaxing day before heading back to the states. It also serves as an opportunity for them to reflect on all that has taken place these past 10 days.
We came back to camp this evening for our trip debriefing. This is always one of the highlights of the trip, as we get to hear the stories of the students and what the Lord has done in them during their time here. We asked a few questions that serves as our springboard tonight
1. Why did you come? Why did the Lord bring you on this trip
2. What changes took place during your time here? How have you changed?
3. How will this trip affect your life back in the states?
4. What can you do to change your school, church, community
5. What is He asking you to do? Where do you need to step in obedience?

DominicanRepublic8

2011-12-16T21:23:00.001-06:00

Today we spent the morning at the CEA batay. We had a great time working with the people there. The students did a great job leading out in worship, sharing the gospel, and modeling the gospel with their attitudes and actions. They have been great
We spent some time walking around with Pastor Chile' trying to assess the needs of the batay. I am really excite about what we may be able to accomplish in the future with this batay.

The Lord continues to wreck me and my heart for these people. I will be writing soon about all of it.

We took the students to a baseball game this evening in San Pedro. Tomorrow will be spent in Boca Chica. And then we will head home on Sunday

DominicanRepublic7

2011-12-15T14:45:00.001-06:00

Today was our last day in the batays of Monte Largo and Dos Hermanos. The students did a great job sharing about the crucifixion, the death, and the resurrection of our Savior. It was a tough day because we know it will be awhile before we are able to see the people of these two batays.
We were also able to add two filling stations/ faucets to the water project in Monte Largo. It was awesome to see running water coming out of the tank and both faucets going at the same time. This water project will definitely change the future for this batay. I am super excited about what the Lord allowed us to do here.
Tomorrow morning we are heading out to see Bob and Diane. They are the ones who run the orphanage called Josiah's House.
We will also be spending some time in the batay called CEA sharing the gospel, playing with children, and looking for ways to partner with them in the future.

DominicanRepublic6

2011-12-14T13:55:00.001-06:00

Today has been an awesome day. Spent some time with Steve and our new friend Jonnie, which happens to be the guy who can speak French. We finished putting in the pipes for the water project and watched as water filled the tank and was used.

I also spent some time with my friend Roberto. I remember Roberto well from last year. We had some time just hanging out.

We did our backyard Bible club stories in Monte Largo and Dos Hermanos today. The students led worship an shared the story of the birth of Jesus

DominicanRepublic5

2011-12-13T16:06:00.001-06:00

Today we went to Monte Largo first thing in the morning. We continued our work on the platform for the water tank to sit on. The guys enjoyed mixing the concrete by hand. 4 loads of sand+ 4 loads of rock+ 2 bags of cement. We are hoping to put the tank up tomorrow and put the pipes in.
We headed to Dos Hermanos this afternoon and started our backyard Bible club. The students led out in singing and then shared the story of David and Goliath.
The students are doing great. Today is the first day that we worked in two different batays, however we will keep this schedule for the rest of our time here. Looking forward to what He has for us the rest of this week. He has already done so much

DominicanRepublic4

2011-12-12T15:07:00.001-06:00

We spent the morning today at Monte Largo where we are trying to finish the water project while we are here. We are working on fixing the pipes running from the water pump which will eventually attach to the water tank we are putting in, which will allow them to store water when the government turns it on. You can see that we are working on putting the platform together that the water tank will sit on. Once we get the foundation for the tank built, which needs to be about 6 feet in the air, we will install the tank and run new lines from pump to allow them to get water when they need it.

DominicanRepublic3

2011-12-11T17:15:00.001-06:00

This morning we went and visited the church in Monte Largo. The church in Monte Largo is pastored by Pastor Manny.
I had the opportunity this morning to share in the service. As soon as I walked in, Manny informed me tat I would be speaking. I spent some time this morning walking though Hebrews 1-4 talking about the fact that Jesus is greater than all.
We will be working there over the next few days building a pump system and installing a water tank. We will also be providing a backyard Bible club for 3 days as we share the gospel with the people.

Dominican Republic2

2011-12-10T19:37:00.001-06:00

We spent the morning at the CEA batay. This was a new batay for us to visit and we feel in love with it and the people there immediately. We spent some time singing with the children in the school that is run by the church and Pastor Chile. There are nearly 1000 people living there an about 85 percent of them are Haitian refugees.
This afternoon we were able to make it to Juan Dolio to take the students to the beach for about 1 1/2 hours and we were also able to see Irene. Irene is the lady that Steve and I made contact with this last summer. I am not totally sure she remembered us, but she did invite us back. Please continue to pray for Irene

Dominican Republic ..

2011-12-09T11:43:00.001-06:00

We are in the colonial district eating lunch. We spent the morning ministering at a school in Santo Domingo. We had a great time with the children and are looking forward to what the Lord has for us and the school. The students are excited about going to the batays and seeing the communities that we have an ongoing ministry with. They are really looking forward to seeing some of the kids they taught and played with last year.

Stay tuned, more updates coming soon

The Church... John Stott

2011-12-06T11:14:00.001-06:00

The church lies at the very center of the eternal purposes of God. It is not a divine afterthought. It is not an accident of history. On the contrary, the church is God's new community. For His purpose, conceived in past eternity, being worked out in history, and to be perfected in future eternity, is not just to save isolated individuals and so perpetuate our loneliness, but rather to build His church, that is, to call out of the world a people for His own glory

Puritan Prayer~ Scriptural Convictions

2011-12-05T12:30:00.001-06:00

O GOD OF LOVE,

I approach thee with encouragements
derived from thy character,
for I am not left to feel after thee
in the darkness of my nature,
nor to worship thee as the unknown God.
I cannot find out thy perfections,
but I know thou art good,
ready to forgive, plenteous in mercy.
Thou hast displayed thy wisdom, power,
and goodness in all thy works,
and hast revealed thy will in the Scripture
of truth.

Thou hast caused it to be preserved, translated,
published, multiplied,
so that all men may possess it and find
thee in it.

Here I see thy greatness and thy grace,
thy pity and thy rectitude,
thy mercy and thy truth,
thy being and men’s hearts;
Through it thou hast magnified thy name,
and favoured mankind with the gospel.

Have mercy on me,
for I have ungratefully received thy benefits,
little improved my privileges,
made light of spiritual things,
disregarded thy messages,
contended with examples of the good,
rebukes of conscience,
admonitions of friends,
leadings of providence.

I deserve that thy kingdom be taken away from me.
Lord, I confess my sin with feeling, lamentation,
a broken heart,
a contrite spirit, self-abhorrence,
self-condemnation, self-despair.

Give me relief by Jesus my hope,
faith in his name of Saviour,
forgiveness by his blood,
strength by his presence,
holiness by his Spirit:
And let me love thee with all my heart.

(Taken from ‘The Valley of Vision: A Collection of Puritan Prayers,’ edited by Arthur Bennett)

Dead to the Gospel?

2011-11-29T12:34:00.000-06:00

Men and women who hear the Gospel regularly, I often fear much for you. I fear lest you become so familiar with the sounds of its doctrines, that insensibly you become dead to its power. I fear lest your religion should sink down into a little vague talk about your own weakness and corruption, and a few sentimental expressions about Christ, while real practical fighting on Christ’s side is altogether neglected. Oh, beware of this state of mind! Be doers of the Word, and not hearers only. No victory—no crown! Fight and overcome!

~ J.C. Ryle

Puritan Prayer~ Heart Corruptions

2011-11-28T09:44:00.002-06:00

May thy Spirit speak in me that I may speak to thee.

I have no merit, let the merit of Jesus stand for me.

I am undeserving, but I look to thy tender mercy.

I am full of infirmities, wants, sin;

thou art full of grace.

I confess my sin, my frequent sin, my wilful sin;

All my powers of body and soul are defiled:

A fountain of pollution is deep within my nature.

There are chambers of foul images within my being;

I have gone from one odious room to another,

walked in a no-man’s-land of dangerous

imaginations,

pried into the secrets of my fallen nature.

I am utterly ashamed that I am what I am in myself;

I have no green shoot in me nor fruit, but thorns

and thistles;

I am a fading leaf that the wind drives away;

I live bare and barren as a winter tree,

unprofitable, fit to be hewn down and burnt.

Lord, dost thou have mercy on me?

Thou hast struck a heavy blow at my pride,

at the false god of self,

and I lie in pieces before thee.

But thou hast given me another Master and Lord,

thy Son, Jesus,

and now my heart is turned towards holiness,

my life speeds as an arrow from a bow

towards complete obedience to thee.

Help me in all my doings to put down sin

and to humble pride.

Save me from the love of the world and the pride

of life,

from everything that is natural to fallen man,

and let Christ’s nature be seen in me day by day.

Grant me grace to bear thy will without repining,

and delight to be

not only chiseled, squared, or fashioned,

but separated from the old rock where I have

been embedded so long,

and lifted from the quarry to the upper air,

where I may be built in Christ for ever.

(Taken from ‘The Valley of Vision: A Collection of Puritan Prayers)

Meaghan's Notes~Nov13

2011-11-15T10:09:00.002-06:00

Here are my daughter's notes form my sermon this past weekend. We covered Hebrews 3: 7-19. Here is the sermon text followed by her notes. I love her heart and her willingness to allow the gospel to transform her.
....I also love the idea of reading these and at least seeing what a 14 year old girl is hearing

Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says,
“Today, if you hear his voice,
8 do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion,
on the day of testing in the wilderness,
9 where your fathers put me to the test
and saw my works for forty years.
10 Therefore I was provoked with that generation,
and said, ‘They always go astray in their heart;
they have not known my ways.’
11 As I swore in my wrath,
‘They shall not enter my rest.’”
12 Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God. 13 But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called “today,” that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. 14 For we have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original confidence firm to the end. 15 As it is said,
“Today, if you hear his voice,
do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion.”
16 For who were those who heard and yet rebelled? Was it not all those who left Egypt led by Moses? 17 And with whom was he provoked for forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose bodies fell in the wilderness? 18 And to whom did he swear that they would not enter his rest, but to those who were disobedient? 19 So we see that they were unable to enter because of unbelief.

*************************

Hebrews 3:7-19
Psalms 95:7-11
'The rest for the people of God'
-exhort one another every day as long as it is called "today"
Today; is telling us what is taking place, time of opportunity.
The background; people of Israel were slaves of Egypt, God redeemed them out of Egypt, was not Gods will for them to stay in Egypt or wonder in the land for 40 years but to enter into the lans of cannan.
-Holy God, but also a JUST God
He didn't need a reason to punish us, -God is Holy but has Grace
As a result of their disobedience they were not aloud into the Holy Land.
Hebrews think with their mind and heart, Israel went their own way. They continue in the false belief even after God had blessed them everyday, they had manna every day.
Israel put God to test.
Is their times in your life you test God?
Yes we all do, daily, but how often?
When we test God we are putting him on trial, when it doesn't work your way you just are done.

Rest- no activity, 'be still and know that I am God' getting into a place where we can in our own mind set rest.
scripture says for us to rest in Christ alone. We as people try to do things on our own and disobey, when Christ is in control. 'You of little faith why did you doubt me?'
Cease striving
God is in control
How often do I offend God?

-When I step out in my own human effort I'm just making noise.

Even with our talent we still must rest in the talent He has given you.
The more you dig into his word the holy spirit will lead you.
We need to be a people who will enjoy the rest we find in Jesus.

The gospel is not based on what we can do for him but what he does for us.

Eph 2:8-9 'grace'
I and the the father are one
Romans 8 'the apostle Paul' 39 nothing can separate from the love of God, God will glorify us, he wants us to enjoy him forever
What can we do to walk and hopefully get on the mind set of resting in him?
Encourage one another everyday!
Lead each other closer to christ and rest in him so none of us may be hardened by the deceitfulness of men.
We are called to love one another.
We are his house, God rules and rains.
Hold onto Jesus
Consider Jesus
When you got Jesus you can make it through anything.
Even on the mist of blessing they disobeyed so they had to wonder.
Eph 1:3-14
We shall be holy and blameless before him. In him we have obtained an inheritance. 14Who is guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of those who are Gods possession- to the praise of his glory.
At the time of doing our own thing that is when we start to have a hardened heart, praise be to God that we can have rest in him.
We need to find our rest in him, no matter what we go through.
Be the body that rest in Christ alone, Rejoice in ALL things

-Meaghan
Sunday November 13

Drifting?

2011-11-08T12:24:00.002-06:00

William Barclay said, "For most of us the thrust of life is not so much that we should plunge into disaster, but that we should drift into sin. There are few people who deliberately and in a moment turn their backs on God; there are many who day-by-day drift farther and farther away from Him. There are not many who in one moment of time commit some disastrous sin; there are many who, bit by bit and almost imperceptibly, involve themselves in some situation, and suddenly awake to find that they have ruined life for themselves and broken someone else's heart. We would do well to be continually on the alert against the peril of the drifting life"

Hebrews 2:1 "Therefore we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it"

Meaghan's Notes- Nov6

2011-11-06T20:57:00.002-06:00

Once again, these are the notes my daughter took from my sermon this morning. Loving that my daughter is listening and taking it all in.
I will also issue the warning that there is a great deal of type text in these notes. Hopefully you can follow. Thankful she is willing to share with me what she is getting out of the messages.

"Oh praise the one who paid my debt" Psalms 107

Hebrews 3:1-6- Jesus greater than Moses

The builder of all things is God.
We are to be holy because he is holy we must consider his holiness. He is an apostle and high priest. Consider Jesus

He is the high priest. He represents us, he pleads with us the cause of God and pleads with God our cause.

Reconcile to our God, he was faithful to him just as Moses was faithful to his (God) house.
Exodus 32:9
Delivering Gods people, did they even appreciate what Moses had done, were they rebellious, yea.

Jesus came in the flesh to recapture and restore all of us! Jesus is our deliverer. Do we appreciate what He has done? Or are we just like those who Moses led out of captivity ?

Have we made other Gods in our lives?
Moses delivering Gods people, Moses pleads for the forgiveness of the people on their behalf.

Even as Jesus walked in flesh, he still gave it all even when he was ridiculed by the people. Jesus is greater than Moses.
He is:: Creator
Sustainer
Redeemer
Beneficiary

Moses was a servant for the house of God. Christ is faithful and over the house of God. He adopted us as children of God.
Jesus is Gods son, over Gods family which moses is apart of.
Moses is Gods servant. Jesus is the Son. Jesus is over the family. Moses is a part I the family.

Have we settled for something other than Christ alone?
He has for all of us great plans

Who is Jesus to you? Is he better than everything else to you?

Thank Jesus for doing all that he does for you.

We still have to be disciplined to what Christ wants us to do in our lives.

Our body is the temple of the living God! We are the house. We are His. Our body is what God has given to us. 'Jesus you you hold me together when everything falls apart your the only hope for this heart.'

God teach me to what it looks like to be faithful to be an apostle to be a servant to walk in the gospel where ever I go.

Jesus is greater than everything. He is before all things. He was sent in the flesh, He laid the foundation, he is our high priest, and He restores and rescues us.

God is in control even when I look around and see chaos I have to understand that He is in control.
He will never leave you nor forsake you.
He is a Reckless lover. Created us.
Called us 2 worship him, will we worship in the fullness of who we are? EVERYTHING!!
Consider Jesus!!

-Meaghan

Meaghan's Notes

2011-10-26T15:44:00.000-05:00

These are the notes my daughter took on my wife's phone this morning during the sermon. Fair warning, there is a great deal of text type in these notes. I love the fact that she is listening and wanted to share these with us.

Hebrews 2:10-18
The founder of salvation
Why the incarnation? Why did this have to happen?
Sin entered into the world bc of Adam n eve
Psalms 22
Isaiah :17
Life long slavery, at the fall we began to be subject to evil. Jesus came in the flesh he is holy and divine n at the same time as he walked here on earth he was of the flesh. He understands the very things that we go through. He is able to help us when we are tempted
he came to rescue redeem us to reconcile all of humanity to him we have to believe we were created to be in a divine n intimate relationship with him. Everything that we do should bring glory to him.
To do justice to love kindness and walk humbly with our God.
He came to redeem the brokenness , the debt of sin had to be paid. God loves us so much that he gave his one and only son that so he could do what we can't do for ourselves.
He came in fulfillment of the scriptures and partook of the flesh he was arrested crucified he died put in A tomb n three days later he rose from the grave. He became flesh and blood bc he had to save flesh and blood. he came and fixed it to redeem sinners n to reveal a true and personal God who could help us through the things we walk through. Through his suffering he was made complete n perfect.
As we walk through suffering we can see that my God my king walked throughout it to because he came down n became flesh n suffered just like we suffer he was tempted by the devil and he stood and made it through. He himself has suffered so he can help us when we suffer. For he who sanctities and those who are sanctified all have one source.
God you are good u are all things u hold all things together I serve a risen savior!!
This has to be apart of the gospel if you leave him on the cross or tomb He is still dead but he rose from the dead!!
It was planned that a holy God came in flesh in blood and saved us.
Brings about restoration
What does it mean for you today?
Why is it important?
We are just not good enough to do it on our own.
Life is short ~it is important to do what you can to model the gospel.
As you walk through suffering, n help others through their suffering what can you do to lead them to the gospel
And he himself has suffered he is help to us who suffer

Became one of us
To walk with us
To help us through our suffering

God said it was GOOD and WE messed it up, so he sent his one and only son to come and die for us
God loves YOU
It is the reason by he came to walk among us n forgive us of our sins, we have all called to be reconciled to a Holy God
Take a risk to show that God is a Holy God
God has put you in this place for a reason to spread the gospel.
God will you continue to change me and help me walk through my struggle. He understands all that we have gone though and what we are going through

Made like us in everything so that he might become a merciful and high priest
We can stand on Christ Jesus
God created everything to be beautiful and we messed it up
I am victorious in-spite of who i am
He calls for us to be holy because he is holy rest in him the king of kings the lord of lords
"He's my brother he's my friend he the beginning and the end"
The one who created it all reconciled it all
He makes it good.

Meaghan

Puritan Prayer~ The Trinity

2011-10-24T10:08:00.001-05:00

Three in One, One in Three, God of my Salvation,

Heavenly Father, blessed Son, eternal Spirit,
I adore you as one Being, one Essence,
one God in three distinct Persons,
for bringing sinners to your knowledge and to
thy kingdom.

O Father, thou hast loved me and sent Jesus to
redeem me;

O Jesus, thou hast loved me and assumed my
nature,
shed thine own blood to wash away my sins,
wrought righteousness to cover my
unworthiness;

O Holy Spirit, you have loved and entered
my heart, implanted there eternal life,
revealed to me the glories of Jesus.

Three Persons and one God, I bless and praise thee,
for love so unmerited, so unspeakable,
so wondrous, so mighty to save the lost
and raise them to glory.

O Father, I thank thee that in fullness of grace
thou hast given me to Jesus, to be his sheep,
jewel, portion;

O Jesus, I thank thee that in fullness of grace
thou have accepted, espoused, bound me;

O Holy Spirit, I thank thee that in fullness of
grace you have
exhibited Jesus as my salvation,
implanted faith within me,
subdued my stubborn heart,
made me one with him for ever.

O Father, thou are enthroned to hear my prayers,
O Jesus, thy hand is outstretched to take my petitions,
O Holy Spirit, thou art willing to help my
infirmities, to show me my need,
to supply words, to pray within me,
to strengthened me that I faint not in supplication.

O Triune God, who commandeth the universe,
thou hast commanded me to ask for those
things that concern thy kingdom and my soul.

Let me live and pray as one baptized into the threefold Name.

(Taken from ‘The Valley of Vision: A Collection of Puritan Prayers,’ edited by Arthur Bennett)

Puritan Prayer~ Divine Mercies

2011-10-21T09:11:00.003-05:00

Thou Eternal God,

Thine is surpassing greatness, unspeakable
goodness, super-abundant grace;
I can as soon count the sands of ocean’s ‘lip’
as number Thy favours towards me;
I know but a part – but that part exceeds all praise.

I thank Thee for personal mercies,
a measure of health, preservation of body,
comforts of house and home, sufficiency of food
and clothing,
continuance of mental powers,
my family, their mutual help and support,
the delights of domestic harmony and peace,
the seats now filled that might have been vacant,
my country, church, Bible, faith.

But, Oh, how I mourn my sin, ingratitude, vileness,
the days that add to my guilt,
the scenes that witness my offending tongue;
All things in heaven, earth, around, within, without, condemn me –
the sun which sees my misdeeds,
the darkness which is light to Thee,
the cruel accuser who justly charges me,
the good angels who have been provoked to leave me,
Thy countenance which scans my secret sins,
Thy righteous law, Thy holy Word,
my sin-soiled conscience, my private and public life,
my neighbors, myself –
all write dark things against me.

I deny them not, frame no excuse, but confess,
‘Father, I have sinned’;
Yet still I live, and fly repenting to Thy outstretched arms;
Thou wilt not cast me off, for Jesus brings me near,
Thou wilt not condemn me, for He died in my stead,
Thou wilt not mark my mountains of sin,
for He levelled all,
and His beauty covers my deformities.

Oh my God, I bid farewell to sin by clinging
to His cross, hiding in His wounds, and sheltering in His side.

(Taken from ‘The Valley of Vision: A Collection of Puritan Prayers,’ edited by Arthur Bennett)

Puritan Prayer~ Worship

2011-10-18T07:26:00.002-05:00

Glorious God,

It is the flame of my life to worship thee,
the crown and glory of my soul to adore thee,
heavenly pleasure to approach thee.

Give me power by the Spirit to help me
worship now,
that I may forget the world,
be brought into the fullness of life,
be refreshed, comforted, blessed.

Give me knowledge of thy goodness
that I might not be over-awed by they greatness;
Give me Jesus, Son of Man, Son of God,
that I might not be terrified,
but drawn near with filial love,
with holy boldness;

He is my Mediator, Brother, Interpreter,
Branch, Daysman, Lamb;
him I glorify,
in him I am set on high.

Crowns to give I have none,
but what thou hast given I return,
content to feel that everything is mine
when it is thine,
and the more fully mine when I have yielded it
to thee.

Let me live wholly to my Saviour,
free from distractions,
from carking care,
from hindrances to the pursuit
of the narrow way.

I am pardoned through the blood of Jesus-
give me a new sense of it,
continue to pardon me by it,
may I come every day to the fountain,
and every day to be washed anew,
that I may worship thee always
in spirit and truth.

(Taken from ‘The Valley of Vision: A Collection of Puritan Prayers,’ edited by Arthur Bennett)

Puritan Prayer~ God Enjoyed

2011-10-17T09:41:00.002-05:00

Thou Incomprehensible
But Prayer-hearing God,

Known, but beyond knowledge,
revealed, but unrevealed,
my wants and welfare draw me to thee,
for thou hast never said, ‘Seek ye me in vain’.

To Thee I come in my difficulties, necessities, distresses;
possess me with thyself,
with a spirit of grace and supplication,
with a prayerful attitude of mind,
with access into warmth of fellowship,
so that in the ordinary concerns of life
my thoughts and desires may rise to thee,
and in habitual devotion I may find a resource
that will soothe my sorrows,
sanctify my successes,
and qualify me in all ways for dealings with my fellow men.

I bless thee that thou hast made me capable.
of knowing thee, the author of all being,
of resembling thee, the perfection of all excellency,
of enjoying thee, the source of all happiness.

O God, attend me in every part of my arduous and trying pilgrimage;
I need the same counsel, defense, comfort I found at my beginning.
Let my religion be more obvious to my conscience,
more perceptible to those around.
While Jesus is representing me in heaven, may I reflect him on earth,
While he pleads my cause, may I show forth his praise.

Continue the gentleness of thy goodness towards me,
And whether I wake or sleep, let thy presence go with me,
thy blessing attend me.

Thou hast led me on and I have found thy promises true,
I have been sorrowful, but thou hast been my help,
fearful, but thou hast delivered me,
despairing, but thou hast lifted me up.
Thy vows are ever upon me,
And I praise thee, O God.

(Taken from ‘The Valley of Vision: A Collection of Puritan Prayers,’ edited by Arthur Bennett)

Puritan Prayer~ Man's Great End

2011-10-12T08:37:00.002-05:00

Lord of all being,

There is one thing that deserves my greatest care,
that calls forth my ardent desires,
That is, that I may answer the great end for which
I am made –
to glorify thee who hast given me being,
and to do all the good I can for my fellow men;
Verily, life is not worth having
if it be not improved for this noble purpose.

Yet, Lord, how little is this the thought of mankind!
Most men seem to live for themselves,
without much or any regard for thy glory,
or for the good of others;
They earnestly desire and eagerly pursue
the riches, honours, pleasures of this life,
as if they supposed that wealth, greatness,
merriment, could make their immortal souls happy;
But, alas, what false delusive dreams are these!
And how miserable ere long will those be that sleep in them,
for all our happiness consists in loving thee,
and being holy as thou art holy.

O may I never fall into the tempers and vanities,
the sensuality and folly of the present world!
It is a place of inexpressible sorrow, a vast empty nothingness;
Time is a moment, a vapour,
and all its enjoyments are empty bubbles,
fleeting blasts of wind,
from which nothing satisfactory can be derived;
Give me grace always to keep in covenant with thee,
and to reject as delusion a great name here or hereafter,
together with all sinful pleasures or profits.

Help me to know continually
that there can be no true happiness,
no fulfilling of thy purpose for me,
apart from a life lived in and for
the Son of thy love.

(Taken from ‘The Valley of Vision: A Collection of Puritan Prayers,’ edited by Arthur Bennett)

Hebrews Series

2011-10-07T09:50:00.002-05:00

Join us this Sunday as we continue our series over Hebrews. Over the next few months we will be looking at the superiority of Christ and the finality and completeness of God's revelation and saving work in Him. God spoke through the prophets in the Hebrew Bible. Now He has spoken to us through His Son, the creator and heir of all things. Jesus Christ is the express image of God and the brightness of His Glory. Christ is our great and faithful High Priest.

This week's message, Greater Than The Angels, will be over the Hebrews 1: 5-14

For to which of the angels did God ever say, “You are my Son, today I have begotten you”? Or again, “I will be to him a father,
and he shall be to me a son”? 6 And again, when he brings the firstborn into the world, he says,
“Let all God's angels worship him.” 7 Of the angels he says, “He makes his angels winds, and his ministers a flame of fire.” 8 But of the Son he says, “Your throne, O God, is forever and ever, the scepter of uprightness is the scepter of your kingdom. 9 You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness; therefore God, your God, has anointed you with the oil of gladness beyond your companions.” 10 And, “You, Lord, laid the foundation of the earth in the beginning, and the heavens are the work of your hands; 11 they will perish, but you remain; they will all wear out like a garment, 12 like a robe you will roll them up,
like a garment they will be changed. But you are the same, and your years will have no end.” 13 And to which of the angels has he ever said, “Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet”?
14 Are they not all ministering spirits sent out to serve for the sake of those who are to inherit salvation?

GFchurch.. New Series

2011-09-30T09:21:00.003-05:00

Join us this Sunday as we begin a new series over Hebrews. Over the next few months we will be looking at the superiority of Christ and the finality and completeness of God's revelation and saving work in Him. God spoke through the prophets in the Hebrew Bible. Now He has spoken to us through His Son, the creator and heir of all things. Jesus Christ is the express image of God and the brightness of His Glory. Christ is our great and faithful High Priest.

GCS Mission~ BMW DAY '11

2011-09-29T09:57:00.002-05:00

SYATP~ Holy Is The Lord

2011-09-28T10:04:00.001-05:00

Students leading out in worship this morning @GCS

SYATP~ Inside Out

2011-09-28T09:59:00.002-05:00

Students leading out in worship this morning @GCS

Puritan Prayer~ The All Good

2011-09-22T09:57:00.001-05:00

MY GOD,

Thou hast helped me to see,
that whatever good be in honour and rejoicing,
how good is He who gives them,
and can withdraw them;
that blessedness does not lie so much
in receiving good from and in Thee,
but in holding forth Thy glory and virtue;
that it is an amazing thing to see Deity
in a creature, speaking, acting,
filling, shining through it;
that nothing is good but Thee,
that I am near good when I am near Thee,
that to be like Thee is a glorious thing:
This is my magnet, my attraction.

Thou art all my good in times of peace,
my only support in days of trouble,
my one sufficiency when life shall end.

Help me to see how good Thy will is in all,
and even when it crosses mine
teach me to be pleased with it.

Grant me to feel Thee in fire, and food and every providence,
and to see that Thy many gifts and creatures
are but Thy hands and fingers taking hold of me.

Thou bottomless fountain of all good,
I give myself to Thee out of love,
for all I have or own is thine,
my goods, family, church, self,
to do with as Thou wilt,
to honour Thyself by me, and by all mine.

If it be consistent with Thy eternal counsels,
the purpose of Thy grace,
and the great ends of Thy glory,
then bestow upon me the blessings of
Thy comforts;

If not, let me resign myself to
Thy wiser determinations.

(Taken from ‘The Valley of Vision: A Collection of Puritan Prayers,’ edited by Arthur Bennett)

Puritan Prayer~ The Mover

2011-09-21T08:28:00.003-05:00

O Supreme Moving Cause,

May I always be subordinate to thee,
be dependent upon thee,
be found in the path where thou dost walk,
and where thy Spirit moves,
take heed of estrangement from thee,
of becoming insensible to thy love.
Thou dost not move men like stones,
but dost endue them with life,
not to enable them to move without thee,
but in submission to thee, the first mover.
O Lord, I am astonished at the difference
between my receivings and my deservings,
between the state I am now in and my past gracelessness,
between the heaven I am bound for and the hell I merit.

Who made me to differ, but thee?
for I was no more ready to receive Christ than were others;
I could not have begun to love thee hadst thou not first loved me,
or been willing unless thou hadst first made me so.
O that such a crown should fit the head of such a sinner!
such high advancement be for an unfruitful person!
such joys for so vile a rebel!

Infinite wisdom cast the design of salvation
into the mould of purchase and freedom;
Let wrath deserved be written on the door of hell,
But the free gift of grace on the gate of heaven.

I know that my sufferings are the result of my sinning,
but in heaven both shall cease;
Grant me to attain this haven and be done with sailing,
and may the gales of thy mercy blow me safely into harbour.
Let thy love draw me nearer to thyself,
wean me from sin, mortify me to this world,
and make me ready for my departure hence.

Secure me by thy grace as I sail across this stormy sea.

(Taken from ‘The Valley of Vision: A Collection of Puritan Prayers,’ edited by Arthur Bennett)

Puritan Prayer~ “Morning Needs

2011-09-08T10:24:00.002-05:00

O God the author of all good, I come to Thee for the grace another day will require for its duties and events. I step out into a wicked world; I carry about with me an evil heart. I know that without Thee I can do nothing, that everything with which I shall be concerned, however harmless in itself, may prove an occasion of sin or folly, unless I am kept by Thy power. Hold Thou me up and I shall be safe.

Preserve my understanding from subtilty of error, my affections from love of idols, my character from stain of vice, my profession from every form of evil. May I engage in nothing in which I cannot implore Thy blessing, and in which I cannot invite Thy inspection. Prosper me in all lawful undertakings, or prepare me for disappointments. Give me neither poverty nor riches. Feed me with food convenient for me, lest I be full and deny Thee and say, Who is the Lord? or be poor, and steal, and take Thy name in vain.

May every creature be made good to me by prayer and Thy will. Teach me how to use the world and not abuse it, to improve my talents, to redeem my time, to walk in wisdom toward those without, and in kindness to those within, to do good to all men, and especially to my fellow Christians. And to Thee be the glory.

Puritan Prayer~ “The Prayer of Love”

2011-09-06T10:28:00.002-05:00

Gracious Lord,

Thy name is love, in love receive my prayer.

My sins are more than the wide sea’s sand, but where sin abounds, there is grace more abundant.

Look to the cross of thy beloved Son, and view the preciousness of his atoning blood;

Listen to his never-failing intercession, and whisper to my heart, ‘They sins are forgiven, be of good cheer, lie down in peace.’

Grace cataracts from heaven and flows for ever, and mercy never wearies in bestowing benefits.

Grant me more and more to prize the privilege of prayer, to come to thee as a sin-siled sinner, to find pardon in thee, to converse with thee; to know thee in prayer s the path in which my feet tread, the latch upon the door of my lips, the light that shines through my eyes, the music of my ears, the marrow of my understanding, the strength f my will, the power of my affection, the sweetness of my memory.

May the matter of my prayer be always wise, humble, submissive, obedient, scriptural, Christ-like.

Give me unwavering faith that supplications are never in vain, that if I seem not to obtain my petitions I shall have larger, richer answers, surpassing all that I ask or think.

Unsought, thou hast given me the greatest gift, the person of thy Son, and in him thou wilt give me all I need.

Puritan Prayer~ “Meeting God”

2011-09-01T10:06:00.002-05:00

Great God,

In public and private, in sanctuary and home, may my life be steeped in prayer, filled with the spirit of grace and supplication, each prayer perfumed with the incense of atoning blood.

Help me, defend me, until from praying ground I pass to the realm of unceasing praise.

Urged by my need, invited by thy promises, called by thy Spirit, I enter thy presence, worshiping thee with godly fear, awed by they majesty, greatness, glory, but encouraged by they love.

I am all poverty as well as all guilt, having nothing of my own with which to repay thee, but I bring Jesus to thee in the arms of faith, pleading his righteousness to offset my iniquities, rejoicing that he will weigh down the scales for me, and satisfy thy justice.

I bless thee that great sin draws out great grace, that, although he lest sin deserves infinite punishment because done against an infinite God, yet there is mercy for me, for where guilt is mot terrible, there thy mercy in Christ is most free and deep.

Bless me by revealing to me more of his saving merits, by causing thy goodness to pass before me, by speaking peace to my contrite heart;

Strengthen me to give thee no rest until Christ shall reign supreme within me, in every thought, word, and deed, in a faith that purifies the heart, overcomes the world, works by love, fastens me to thee, and every clings to the cross

Puritan Prayer~ “God All-Sufficient”

2011-08-31T09:09:00.002-05:00

O Lord of grace,
The world is before me this day,
and I am weak and fearful,
but I look to thee for strength;

If I venture forth alone I stumble and fall,
but on the beloved’s arms I am firm as the eternal hills;

If left to the treachery of my heart I shall shame thy name,
but if enlightened, guided, upheld by thy Spirit,
I shall bring thee glory.

Be thou my arm to support,
my strength to stand, my light to see,
my feet to run, my shield to protect,
my sword to repel, my sun to warm.

To enrich me will not diminish thy fullness;
All thy lovingkindness is in thy Son,
I bring him to thee in the arms of faith,
I urge his saving name as the one who died for me.
I plead his blood to pay my debts of wrong.

Accept his worthiness for my unworthiness,
his sinlessness for my transgressions,
his purity for my uncleanness,
his sincerity for my guile,
his truth for my deceits,
his meekness for my pride,
his constancy for my backslidings,
his love for my enmity,
his fullness for my emptiness,
his faithfulness for my treachery,
his obedience for my lawlessness,
his glory for my shame,
his devotedness for my waywardness,
his holy life for my unchaste ways,
his righteousness for my dead works,
his death for my life.

Puritan Prayer- Lord, Awake Faith

2011-08-21T21:51:00.001-05:00

My God, I bless Thee that Thou hast given me the eye of faith, to see Thee as Father, to know Thee as a covenant God, to experience Thy love planted in me; for faith is the grace of union by which I spell out my entitlement to Thee: faith casts my anchor upwards where I trust in Thee and engage Thee to be my Lord.

Be pleased to live and move within me, breathing in my prayers, inhabiting my praises, speaking in my words, moving in my actions, living in my life, causing me to grow in grace.

Thy bounteous goodness has helped me believe, but my faith is weak and wavering, its light dim, its steps tottering, its increase slow, its backslidings frequent; it should scale the heavens, but it lies grovelling in the dust. Lord, fan this diving spark into glowing flame. When faith sleeps, my heart become an unclean thing, the fount of every loathsome desire, to cage of unclean lusts all fluttering to escape, the noxious tree of deadly fruit, the open wayside of earthly tares.

Lord, awake faith to put forth its strength until all heaven fills my soul and all impurity is cast out.

From Valley of Vision: A Collection of Puritan Prayers.

Puritan Prayer~ All I Want Is To Know You and Serve You

2011-08-17T12:07:00.002-05:00

Thou God of my end,

You have given me a fixed disposition

to go forth and spend my life for thee;

If it be your will let me proceed in it;

if not, then revoke my intentions.

All I want in life is such circumstances

as may best enable me to serve you in the world;

To this end I leave all my concerns in your hand

but let me not be discouraged,

for this hinders my spiritual fervency;

Enable me to undertake some task for thee,

for this refreshes and animates my soul,

so that I could endure all hardships and labours,

and willingly suffer for your name.

But, Oh what a death it is to strive and labour,

to always be in a hurry and yet do nothing!

Alas, time flies and I am of little use.

Oh that I could be a flame of fire in your service

always burning out in one continual blaze.

Fit me for singular usefulness in this world

Fit me to exult in distresses of every kind

if they but promote the advancement of your kingdom.

Fit me to quit all hopes of the world’s friendship,

and give me a deeper sense of my sinfulness.

Fit me to accept as just desert from thee

any trial that may befall me.

Fit me to be totally resigned to the denial of pleasures I desire,

and to be content to spend my time with you.

Fit me to pray with a sense of the joy of divine communion,

to find all times happy seasons to my soul,

to see my own nothingness,

and wonder that I am allowed to serve thee.

Fit me to enter the blessed world where no unclean thing is,

and to know thee with me always.

.... I love this part:

Fit me to pray with a sense of the joy of divine communion, to find all times happy seasons to my soul, to see my own nothingness, and wonder that I am allowed to serve thee

Puritan Prayer~ Savior

2011-08-14T23:06:00.002-05:00

God of all grace,

You have given me a Savior,
produce in me a faith to live by him,
to make him all my desire,
all my hope, and all my glory.

May I enter him as my refuge,
build on him as my foundation,
walk in him as my way,
follow him as my guide,
conform to him as my example,
receive his instructions as my prophet,
rely on his intercession as my high priest,
obey him as my king.

May your dear Son preserve me from this present evil world,

so that its approval never tempt,
nor its disapproval terrify,
nor its vices defile,
nor its errors delude me.

May I feel that I am a stranger and a pilgrim on earth,
declaring plainly that I seek a country,
my title to it becoming daily more clear,
my desire for it more perfect,
my expectations of it more abundant;
and whatsoever I do may it be done
in the Saviour’s name.

.... May I have the faith to live by him,
to make him all my desire, all my hope, and all my glory

.... I love the words to Tomlin's "All My Fountains". May these words ring true for us as we live our lives in such a way that is worthy of the gospel. May we drink from the living water. May we acknowledge his strength. May we understand that He truly is all we need. All our fountains are in Him. Rain down on US

Chris Tomlin, "All My Fountains"

Verse 1
This dry and desert land
I tell myself, “Keep walking on”
Hear something up ahead
Water falling like a song
An everlasting stream
Your river carries me home
Let it flow, let if flow

Verse 2
A flood for my soul
A well that never will run dry
I've rambled on my own
Never believing I would find
An everlasting stream
Your river carries me home
Let it flow, let it flow

Chorus
Open the heavens
Come Living Water
All my fountains are in You
You're strong like a river
Your love is running through
All my fountains are in You

Bridge
Come on, and rain down on us
Rain down on us, Lord

Puritan Prayer~ Love Lustres at Calvary

2011-08-14T07:12:00.001-05:00

“My Father,

Enlarge my heart, warm my affections, open my lips, supply words that proclaim ‘Love lustres at Calvary.’

There grace removes my burdens and heaps them on thy Son, made a transgressor, a curse, and sin for me;
There the sword of thy justice smote the man, thy fellow;
There thy infinite attributes were magnified, and infinite atonement was made;
There infinite punishment was due, and infinite punishment was endured.

Christ was all anguish that I might be all joy,
cast off that I might be brought in,
trodden down as an enemy that I might be welcomed as a friend,
surrendered to hell’s worst that I might attain heaven’s best,
stripped that I might be clothed,
wounded that I might be healed,
athirst that I might drink,
tormented that I might be comforted,
made a shame that I might inherit glory,
entered darkness that I might have eternal light.

My Saviour wept that all tears might be wiped from my eyes,
groaned that I might have endless song,
endured all pain that I might have unfading health,
bore a thorny crown that I might have a glory-diadem,
bowed his head that I might uplift mine,
experienced reproach that I might receive welcome,
closed his eyes in death that I might gaze on unclouded brightness,
expired that I might for ever live.

O Father, who spared not thine only Son that thou mightest spare me,
All this transfer thy love designed and accomplished;
Help me to adore thee by lips and life.
O that my every breath might be ecstatic praise,
my every step buoyant with delight,
as I see my enemies crushed,
Satan baffled, defeated, destroyed,
sin buried in the ocean of reconciling blood,
hell’s gates closed, heaven’s portal open.
Go forth, O conquering God, and show me the cross,
mighty to subdue, comfort and save.”

Puritan Prayer~ Grace Active

2011-08-09T05:30:00.003-05:00

O God, may Thy Spirit speak in me that I may speak to Thee. I Lord Jesus, great high priest, Thou hast opened a new and living way by which a fallen creature can approach Thee with acceptance.

Help me to contemplate the dignity of Thy Person, the perfectness of Thy sacrifice, the effectiveness of Thy intercession.

O what blessedness accompanies devotion, when under all the trials that weary me, the cares that corrode me, the fears that disturb me, the infirmities that oppress me, I can come to Thee in my need and feel peace beyond understanding!

The grace that restores is necessary to preserve, lead, guard, supply, help me. And here Thy saints encourage my hope; they were once poor and are now rich, bound and are now free, tried and now are victorious.

Every new duty calls for more grace than I now possess, but not more than is found in Thee, the divine treasury in whom all fullness dwells. To Thee I repair for grace upon grace, until every void made by sin be replenished and I am filled with all Thy fullness.

May my desires be enlarged and my hopes emboldened, that I may honour Thee by my entire dependency and the greatness of my expectation.

Do Thou be with me, and prepare me for all the smiles of prosperity, the frowns of adversity, the losses of substance, the death of friends, the days of darkness, the changes of life, and the last great change of all. May I find thy grace sufficient for all my needs.

.... The grace that restores is necessary to preserve, lead, guard, supply, help me.
.... Every new duty calls for more grace than I now possess, but not more than is found in Thee, the divine treasury in whom all fullness dwells
.... May I find thy grace sufficient for all my needs.

.... Rich or poor God I want You more
Than anything that glitters in this world
Be my all, all consuming fire

We have all we need in You
And all we need is You
All we need is You

You can have all my hands can hold
My heart, mind, strength and soul
Be my all, all consuming fire

All we need, all we need, all we need is You
All we need, all we need, all we need is You

.... You truly are all I need!!

Puritan Prayer~ Need of Jesus

2011-08-08T08:45:00.002-05:00

Lord Jesus,

I am blind, be my light,

ignorant, be my wisdom,

self-willed, be my mind

Open my ear to grasp quickly your Spirit’s voice,

and delightfully run after His beckoning hand;

Melt my conscience that no hardness remain,

make it alive to evil’s slightest touch;

When Satan approaches may I flee to your wounds,

and there cease to tremble at all alarms.

Be my good shepherd to lead me into green pastures of your Word,

and cause me to lie down beside the rivers of its comforts.

Fill me with peace, that no disquieting worldly gales may ruffle the calm surface of my soul.

Your cross was upraised to be my refuge,

Your blood streamed forth to wash me clean,

Your death occurred to give me a surety,

Your name is my property to save me,

By you all heaven is poured into my heart,

but it is too narrow to comprehend your love.

I was a stranger, an outcast, a slave, a rebel

but your cross has brought me near,

has softened my heart,

has made me your Father’s child,

has admitted me into your family,

has made me joint heir with yourself.

O that I may love you as you have loved me,

that I may walk worthy of you, my Lord,

that I may reflect the image of heaven’s first-born.

May I always see your beauty with the clear eye of faith,

and feel the power of your Spirit in my heart,

for unless he move mightily in me

no inward fire will be kindled.

Puritan Prayer~ The Deeps

2011-08-06T21:55:00.002-05:00

Lord Jesus, give me a deeper repentance, a horror of sin, a dread of its approach. Help me chastely to flee it and jealously to resolve that my heart shall be Thine alone.

Give me a deeper trust, that I may lose myself to find myself in Thee, the ground of my rest, the spring of my being. Give me a deeper knowledge of Thyself as saviour, master, lord, and king. Give me deeper power in private prayer, more sweetness in Thy Word, more steadfast grip on its truth. Give me deeper holiness in speech, thought, action, and let me not seek moral virtue apart from Thee.

Plough deep in me, great Lord, heavenly husbandman, that my being may be a tilled field, the roots of grace spreading far and wide, until Thou alone art seen in me, Thy beauty golden like summer harvest, Thy fruitfulness as autumn plenty.

I have no master but Thee, no law but Thy will, no delight but Thyself, no wealth but that Thou givest, no good but that Thou blessest, no peace but that Thou bestowest. I am nothing but that Thou makest me. I have nothing but that I receive from Thee. I can be nothing but that grace adorns me. Quarry me deep, dear Lord, and then fill me to overflowing with living water.

.... Give me deeper holiness in speech, thought, action, and let me not seek moral virtue apart from Thee.
.... I have no master but Thee, no law but Thy will, no delight but Thyself, no wealth but that Thou givest, no good but that Thou blessest, no peace but that Thou bestowest. I am nothing but that Thou makest me. I have nothing but that I receive from Thee. I can be nothing but that grace adorns me.

Puritan Prayer~ Come Holy Spirit

2011-08-05T20:38:00.003-05:00

O HOLY SPIRIT,
As the sun if full of light, the ocean full of water,
Heaven full of glory, so may my heart be full of thee.
Vain are all divine purposes of love
and the redemption wrought by Jesus
except thou work within,
regenerating by thy power,
giving me eyes to see Jesus,
showing me the realities of the unseen world.
Give me thyself without measure,
as an unimpaired fountain,
as inexhaustible riches.
I bewail my coldness, poverty, emptiness,
imperfect vision, languid service,
prayerless prayers, praiseless praises.
Suffer me not to grieve or resist thee.
Come as power,
to expel every rebel lust, to reign supreme and keep me thine;
Come as teacher,
leading me into all truth, filling me with all understanding;
Come as love,
that I may adore the Father, and love him as my all;
Come as joy,
to dwell in me, move in me, animate me;
Come as light,
illuminating the Scripture, molding me in its laws;
Come as sanctifier,
body, soul and spirit wholly thine;
Come as helper,
with strength to bless and keep, directing my every step;
Come as beautifier,
bringing order out of confusion, loveliness out of chaos.
Magnify to me thy glory by being magnified in me,
and make me redolent of thy fragrance.

Puritan Prayer~ Openness

2011-08-02T23:02:00.002-05:00

Lord of immortality, before whom angels bow and archangels veil their faces, enable me to serve Thee with reverence and godly fear. Thou who art Spirit and requirest truth in the inward parts, help me to worship Thee in spirit and in truth. Thou who art righteous, let me not harbour sin in my heart, or indulge a worldly temper, or seek satisfaction in things that perish.

I hasten towards an hour when earthly pursuits and possessions will appear vain, when it will be indifferent whether I have been rich or poor, successful or disappointed, admired or despised. But it will be of eternal moment that I have mourned for sin, hungered and thirsted after righteousness, loved the Lord Jesus in sincerity, gloried in His cross. May these objects engross my chief solicitude! Produce in me those principles and dispositions that make Thy service perfect freedom.

Expel from my mind all sinful fear and shame, so that with firmness and courage I may confess the Redeemer before men, go forth with Him hearing His reproach, be zealous with His knowledge, be filled with His wisdom, walk with His circumspection, ask counsel of Him in all things, repair to the Scriptures for His orders, stay my mind on His peace, knowing that nothing can befall me without His permission, appointment and administration.

.... May we serve you with reverence and a godly fear
.... May we mourn for sin, may we hunger and thirst after righteousness, and love the Lord with sincerity
.... Expel from my mind all sinful fear and shame
.... Help us to confess you before men

Puritan Prayer~ Evening Renewal

2011-07-31T21:51:00.003-05:00

My Father, if Thy mercy had bounds, where would be my refuge from just wrath? But thy love in Christ is without measure. Thus, I present myself to Thee with sins of comission and omission, against Thee, my Father, against Thee, adorable redeemer, against Thee and Thy strivings, 0 Holy Spirit, against the dictates of my conscience, against the precepts of Thy Word, against my neighbours and myself. Enter not into judgment with me, for I plead no righteousness of my own, and have no cloak for iniquity. Pardon my day dark with evil.

This night I renew my penitence. Every morning I vow to love Thee more fervently, to serve Thee more sincerely, to be more devoted in my life, to be wholly Thine; Yet I soon stumble, backslide, and have to confess my weakness, misery and sin. But I bless Thee that the finished work of Jesus needs no addition from my doings, that His oblation is sufficient satisfaction for my sins.

If future days be mine, help me to amend my life, to hate and abhor evil, to flee the sins I confess. Make me more resolute, more watchful, more prayerful. Let no evil fruit spring from evil seeds my hands have sown; Let no neighbour be hardened in vanity and folly by my want of circumspection. If this day I have been ashamed of Christ and His Word, or have shown unkindness, malice, envy, lack of love, unadvised speech, hasty temper, let it be no stumbling block to others, or dishonour to Thy name. 0 help me to set an upright example that will ever rebuke vice, allure to goodness, and evidence that lovely are the ways of Christ.

.... I will love Thee more fervently, serve Thee more sincerely, and be more devoted in my life, to be wholly Thine
.... Make me more resolute, more watchful, more prayerful

Puritan Prayer~ Evening Praise

2011-07-30T23:03:00.002-05:00

Giver of all, another day is ended and I take my place beneath my great redeemer's cross, where healing streams continually descend, where balm is poured into every wound, where I wash anew in the all-cleansing blood, assured that Thou seest in me no spots of sin. Yet a little while and I shall go to Thy home and be no more seen; help me to gird up the loins of my mind, to quicken my step, to speed as if each moment were my last, that my life be joy, my death glory.

I thank Thee for the temporal blessings of this world—the refreshing air, the light of the sun, the food that renews strength, the raiment that clothes, the dwelling that shelters, the sleep that gives rest, the starry canopy of night, the summer breeze, the flowers' sweetness, the music of flowing streams, the happy endearments of family, kindred, friends. Things animate, things inanimate, minister to my comfort. My cup runs over. Suffer me not to be insensible to these daily mercies. Thy hand bestows blessings: Thy power averts evil. I bring my tribute of thanks for spiritual graces, the full warmth of faith, the cheering presence of Thy Spirit, the strength of Thy restraining will, Thy spiking of hell's artillery. Blessed be my sovereign Lord!

....Thank you Lord for all You are and all You do!

Puritan Prayer~ Divine Support

2011-07-29T08:08:00.002-05:00

Divine Support

Thou art the blessed God, happy in Thyself, source of happiness in Thy creatures, my maker, benefactor, proprietor, upholder. Thou hast produced and sustained me, supported and indulged me, saved and kept me; Thou art in every situation able to meet my needs and miseries.

May I live by Thee, live for Thee, never be satisfied with my Christian progress but as I resemble Christ; and may conformity to His principles, temper, and conduct grow hourly in my life. Let Thy unexampled love constrain me into holy obedience, and render my duty my delight. If others deem my faith folly, my meekness infirmity, my zeal madness, my hope delusion, my actions hypocrisy, may I rejoice to suffer for Thy name.

Keep me walking steadfastly towards the country of everlasting delights, that paradise-land which is my true inheritance. Support me by the strength of heaven that I may never turn back, or desire false pleasures that will disappear into nothing. As I pursue my heavenly journey by Thy grace let me be known as a man with no aim but that of a burning desire for Thee, and the good and salvation of my fellow men.

.... Thankful that you are all I need. You met me at the very deepest point of my need and have no desire to keep me there
.... May your love constrain me into holy obedience
.... Let me be known as a man with no aim but that of a burning desire for You

Puritan Prayer~ Contentment

2011-07-28T07:45:00.002-05:00

Heavenly Father, if I should suffer need, and go unclothed, and be in poverty, make my heart prize Thy love, know it, be constrained by it, though I be denied all blessings. It is Thy mercy to afflict and try me with wants, for by these trials I see my sins, and desire severance from them. Let me willingly accept misery, sorrows, temptations, if I can thereby feel sin as the greatest evil, and be delivered from it with gratitude to Thee, acknowledging this as the highest testimony of Thy love.

When thy Son, Jesus, came into my soul instead of sin He became more dear to me than sin had formerly been; His kindly rule replaced sin's tyranny. Teach me to believe that if ever I would have any sin subdued I must not only labour to overcome it, but must invite Christ to abide in the place of it, and He must become to me more than vile lust had been; that His sweetness, power, life may be there. Thus I must seek a grace from Him contrary to sin, but must not claim it apart from Himself.

When I am afraid of evils to come, comfort me by showing me that in myself I am a dying, condemned wretch, but in Christ I am reconciled and live; that in myself I find insufficiency and no rest, but in Christ there is satisfaction and peace; that in myself I am feeble and unable to do good, but in Christ I have ability to do all things. Though now I have His graces in part, I shall shortly have them perfectly in that state where Thou wilt show Thyself fully reconciled, and alone sufficient, efficient, loving me completely, with sin abolished. O Lord, hasten that day.

.....in myself I find insufficiency and no rest, but in Christ there is satisfaction and peace
.....in myself I am feeble and unable to do good, but in Christ I have ability to do all things.

Puritan Prayer~ Morning Prayer

2011-07-27T07:43:00.003-05:00

Compassionate Lord, Thy mercies have brought me to the dawn of another day. Vain will be its gift unless I grow in grace, increase in knowledge, ripen for spiritual harvest. Let me this day know Thee as Thou art, love Thee supremely, serve Thee wholly, admire Thee fully. Through grace let my will respond to Thee, knowing that power to obey is not in me, but that Thy free love alone enables me to serve Thee. Here then is my empty heart, overflow it with Thy choicest gifts; here is my blind understanding, chase away its mists of ignorance.

O ever watchful Shepherd, lead, guide, tend me this day; without Thy restraining rod I err and stray. Hedge up my path lest I wander into unwholesome pleasure, and drink its poisonous streams; direct my feet that I be not entangled in Satan's secret snares, nor fall into his hidden traps. Defend me from assailing foes, from evil circumstances, from myself. My adversaries are part and parcel of my nature; they cling to me as my very skin; I cannot escape their contact. In my rising up and sitting down they barnacle me; they entice with constant baits; my enemy is within the citadel. Come with almighty power and cast him out, pierce him to death, and abolish in me every particle of carnal life this day.

.....May I grow in grace and increase in knowledge.
.....May I know You, love You, and serve You for who You are
.....Through grace let me respond to You as You lead, guide and direct me

Puritan Prayer~ Longings After God

2011-07-26T10:46:00.002-05:00

My dear Lord, I can but tell Thee that Thou knowest I long for nothing but Thyself, nothing but holiness, nothing but union with Thy will. Thou hast given me these desires, and thou alone canst give me the thing desired. My soul longs for communion with Thee, for mortification of indwelling corruption, especially spiritual pride. How precious it is to have a tender sense and clear apprehension of the mystery of godliness, of true holiness! What a blessedness to be like Thee as much as it is possible for a creature to be like its creator! Lord, give me more of Thy likeness; enlarge my soul to contain fullness of holiness; engage me to live more for Thee. Help me to be less pleased with my spiritual experiences, and when I feel at ease after sweet communings, teach me it is far too little I know and do. Blessed Lord, let me climb up near to Thee, and love, and long, and plead, and wrestle with Thee, and pant for deliverance from the body of sin, for my heart is wandering and lifeless, and my soul mourns to think it should ever lose sight of its beloved. Wrap my life in divine love, and keep me ever desiring Thee, always humble and resigned to Thy will, more fixed on Thyself, that I may be more fitted for doing and-suffering.

.... I love this part, "Lord, give me more of Thy likeness; enlarge my soul to contain fullness of holiness; engage me to live more for Thee."

....and this part, "Wrap my life in divine love, and keep me ever desiring Thee, always humble and resigned to Thy will, more fixed on Thyself, that I may be more fitted for doing and-suffering."

Make me more like You!

Puritan Prayer~ Devotion

2011-07-25T09:23:00.002-05:00

God of my end, it is my greatest, noblest pleasure to be acquainted with Thee and with my rational, immortal soul; it is sweet and entertaining to look into my being when all my powers and passions are united and engaged in pursuit of Thee, when my soul longs and passionately breathes after conformity to Thee and the full enjoyment of Thee; no hours pass away with so much pleasure as those spent in communion with Thee and with my heart.

O how desirable, how profitable to the Christian life is a spirit of holy watchfulness and godly jealousy over myself when my soul is afraid of nothing except grieving and offending Thee, the blessed God, my Father and friend, whom I then love and long to please, rather than be happy in myself! Knowing, as I do, that this is the pious temper, worthy of the highest ambition, and closest pursuit of intelligent creatures and holy Christians, may my joy derive from glorifying and delighting Thee. I long to fill all my time for Thee, whether at home or in the way; to place all my concerns in Thy hands; to be entirely at Thy disposal, having no will or interest of my own. Help me to live to Thee for ever, to make Thee my last and only end, so that I may never more in one instance love my sinful self.

.... May my life be lived in such a way that I become afraid of nothing except grieving and offending God. May I understand that my chief end is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever. May He be my all in all. He is truly all I need. May I find my complete and utter satisfaction in Him and in Him alone.

GFchurch Update

2011-07-22T10:34:00.003-05:00

On July 10th at Gateway Fellowship, Zach Snow taught part2 of a series on Biblical Community. If you missed the service you can catch it here at GatewayTV . This past Sunday we looked at what it means to be One with the Father. We talked about the church as a body and how we are called to be One in community and ministry. We looked at John 17:20-26

20 "I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word,21 that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me.22 The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one,23 I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me.24 Father, I desire that they also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory that you have given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world.25 O righteous Father, even though the world does not know you, I know you, and these know that you have sent me.26 I made known to them your name, and I will continue to make it known, that the love with which you have loved me may be in them, and I in them."

If you were not able to be here this past Sunday, you can catch the service here at July17@GatewayTV

Here are a few ways to stay connected with our church::

Gateway Fellowship Facebook
Gateway Fellowship Twitter

Here are a few things coming up in the life of our church::

...Gateway Ladies Bunco Night, Saturday, July 23 @6:15pm @GFchurch
...Family Worship and Luncheon, Sunday, July 31
...Promotion Sunday, August 7

ConnectGroup Schedule::

WedNite 7pm @GFchurch

I love our church
I love our people
I love our team
I love what He is doing in us
I love what He is doing to us
I love what He is doing through us

Dominican Download

2011-07-22T10:00:00.003-05:00

I have been home now from the Dominican Republic for about 10 days and I am already excited about our trip back in December. During our last visit we were able to visit with a lot of people and ministries around the area. My head is spinning about the possibilities that are in front of us in the Dominican. I would ask that you would join with me in praying for Pastor Manny and his work in the villages / bateys of Monte Largo and Dos Hermanos. Our school, Greenville Christian, has basically adopted the community of Monte Largo and look forward to our partnership in ministry with Pastor Manny, Julio and Mercy.

While there we were able to meet with Bob and Diane who are opening Josiah's House which is an orphanage for boys. We spent our time with them talking about our return trip in December and the possibility of doing some future ministry events together. They are great people and have great hearts. Please pray for Josiah's House and the work that is to be done there.

We traveled to Santo Domingo where we met with the headmaster of a christian school in town that educates close to 180 students from K-8th grade. This school reminds us a lot of GCS back home. They have learned to do a lot with a little. The headmaster is a man who loves the Lord and frequently told us that everything they do at this school is based on the gospel. The name of the school is Centro Educativo Buenos Nuevas (Good News)

We are already working on another trip in July of next year as well. We will be beginning putting together an opportunity to collect shoes for the people in the bateys there. Many of them do not have shoes, much less clothes and the basic needs of life. We are working towards helping them with purchasing a water tank for the batey as well. They do get water but only for a very short period of time during the day. If we could get a water tank, it could be filled during the day, when the water is on, and then it could serve the needs of the batey at all hours. We are also praying towards the installation of two faucets in the batey which would help distribute the water through the batey and allow the people to get the water when they needed it.

Pray for Manny, Julio, Mercy, Bob, and Dianne. Pray that the Lord would continue to grant them favor with all of those that they come in contact with. Pray for them as the model the gospel with their lives. Pray for an opportunity for you to go to the Dominican Republic and partner in ministry with us.

July 11, 2011~ Dominican Republic

2011-07-11T19:38:00.002-05:00

We are headed home in the morning. We spent our last day here in the Dominican Republic down at Chez Irene conversing with Irene and letting her know we would be back in December. I am praying for her and praying for the relationship that has begun and will continue even while we are gone, through Julio and Mercy.

At breakfast this morning, we met Bob and Diane who are opening Josiah's House which is an orphanage for boys. We spent our time with them talking about our return trip in December and the possibility of doing some future ministry events together. They are great people and have great hearts. Please pray for Josiah's House and the work that is to be done there.

Pray for our friends Julio and Mercy, who are our friend and partners in ministry here in the DR. We have really enjoyed our week together and the dreams that have come out of it. I love spending time with people who have a heart for the gospel and long to model it with their lives.

Our flight leaves at 6:20 am so we will be getting up early and heading to the airport to get there 2 hours before time. With that knowledge, I will leave you with this and catch back up with you in the states.

July 10, 2011~ Dominican Republic

2011-07-10T21:09:00.002-05:00

Our trip is winding down to the last few days. I will fly back home Tuesday morning. Today has been another day full of conversations about future ministry opportunities here in the Dominican Republic.

We started the day down at Chez Irene, as usual, to have breakfast. Irene has been a gracious host and has been joy to talk about life with. This morning we talked again about her growing up in the Pentecostal church and about the time she was married to her husband, who was a preacher. She still talks as though there is not anything one thing that is 100 percent true and that the Bible has a lot of great things we can do. I am continuing to pray for her and the relationship that Julio and Mercy are able to continue here in Juan Dolio.

We attended church this morning in Santo Domingo at Grace. The service was great. It is always refreshing to hear the manyu different languages that God's people sing in. As they were singing in Spanish, we were able to follow in English and sing together. We sing many of the same songs in our worship services back in the states. After talking to the worship leader for a little while about Chris Tomlin, Lincoln Brewster, Mercy Me, Jeremy Camp, Phil Wickham and Hillsong, he asked me if I could give him some other recommendations for worship. Needless to say, this was a fun conversation. The church service was very energetic and the pastor was great. After the service, Mercy basically highlighted the sermon for us in English, so we would have a better idea of what all was said. This is the church that has the faith project / Christian school in Santo Domingo also. We ate lunch with the pastor of the church and a few of the elders and had a great time talking about his vision for the school and what he felt like the Lord was leading him to.

You can find pictures of the school here

We finished up the evening back at La Movida, where the pizza is amazing and the gospel centered conversations with Steve, Julio and Mercy were even better.

July 9, 2011~ Dominican Republic

2011-07-09T21:36:00.002-05:00

Today has been full of great things. We started off eating breakfast down at Chez Irene. We invited Julio and Mercy this morning so they could meet Irene and continue the relationship after we leave. They have already invited her to a local church they attend here in the area.

After breakfast we headed to Boca Chica to check out all the baseball games that were being played by the players who are at the baseball academies that are owned and operated by the big leagues. We were able to see the Reds, Diamondbacks, Orioles, Twins, Cubs, Marlins, Rangers and Mets organizations. You can see pictures here

When we left there, we headed to eat lunch with Vincent and his friend Max. Vincent is a close friend of Julio and Mercy. He is from Italy and comes here for business mostly but sometimes he visits just for pleasure. This trip is just for pleasure. Vincent is a great guy and his friend Max served as a representative for the Italians here in the Dominican for a while but he has ventured out on his own into some other areas of business, mainly helping people see what this country is all about. Did I tell you that Max speaks like 4 or 5 different languages? These two connections were great to make and we will be spending some time with both in the near future.

We left lunch and headed towards Monte Largo, where we were able to meet with Pastor Manny and discuss some ministry projects. We also had the privilege of being able to provide a meal for this community. For many of them, it was probably the only meal that they were able to eat all day. There are some pictures of the church and the people here

We ended the evening down the street at La Movida, where I had Hawaiian Pizza with fresh pineapple and ham on it. It was by far the best Hawaiian pizza I have ever had. We spent the night continuing conversations about our future ministry trips and ministry partnerships. I love these people

July 8, 2011~ Dominican Republic

2011-07-08T20:33:00.004-05:00

Today has been a great day of amazing Gospel centered conversations. We went back down to Chez Irene for breakfast and continued our conversation with Irene, our new 75yr old friend from Sweden who runs Chez Irene out of the front of her house. She thinks the Bible has a lot of great things for us to think about but doesn't necessarily believe that there is anything that is 100 percent true. She loves and studies humanistic thinking, even though she was once married to a pastor and grew up in a pentecostal home.

After breakfast we headed to Santo Domingo where we met with the headmaster of a walked christian school in town that educates close to 180 students from K-8th grade. This school reminds us a lot of GCS back home. They have learned to do a lot with a little. The headmaster is a man who loves the Lord and frequently told us that everything they do at this school is based on the gospel. you can watch the video here

We then headed to Boca Chica where we ate lunch and talked with Julio and Mercy about all the the Lord is doing and dreamed about future ministry together. We then went to what they call the Boca Chica Baseball Complex. This is where many of the major league teams have some of their farm leagues. as we drove through a portion of the complex we saw the Cubs, Soxs, Twins, Reds, Orioles, and Diamondbacks field houses. They start games at 10am tomorrow, so after we go down and visit with Irene, we will head to Boca Chica to watch some baseball.

We ended the evening with dinner at BocaMarina which is awesome. There is a picture posted on my Facebook Page . I have always loved the Dominican Republic but I am falling more and more in love with it daily. I love the conversations we are having about the gospel and ministry opportunities that lie ahead of us in the near future.

Tomorrow, we will be heading out to see Pastor Manny and his church plant in Monte Largo. We are actually going to be able to provide a meal for the people there. I am excited about sitting down with Pastor Manny and talking about what all the Lord has done since our last visit in December. He has already expressed the need for shoes for the people of Monte Largo. This will be something we will be looking at in the very near future.

July 7, 2011~ Dominican Republic

2011-07-07T16:35:00.004-05:00

I am back in the Dominican Republic. We will be bringing some students here in December and we are trying to put some final details together for that trip. I woke up this morning and was able to spend some time studying the scriptures as I gazed out over my balcony into God's beautiful creation.

I love spending time with Julio and Mercy, they are great friends and serve as amazing ministry contacts here in the Dominican Republic. We are praying for some very big God sized things to take place in the future.

We walked down the street this morning looking for some breakfast. I noticed a sign that said, "we speak English, Spanish and French". I walked up to the lady and asked her is they served breakfast. She replied, "what do you want? would you like eggs and ham and coffee?" Of course, I could not refuse so I tole her yes. We sat down and I watched her walk down the street to the market and come back with some eggs. Not too long later, I had fresh scrambled eggs, ham, bread and hot coffee sitting in front of me.

As we ate, we carried on a conversation with Irene. She is from Sweden and has lived her since 2000 when she moved here with her husband. After talking for a little bit, she told us that her husband had passed away in 2002 and she has been living here ever since running this bar cafe'/bar out of the front of her building. We asked her how often she makes lunch, since breakfast was so good. That is when we found out that she doesn't really serve food anymore, because she leases out the space next to her to the restaurant that wasn't open at that time during the morning. I have to be honest, I love the fact that she made us breakfast. The people here seem to be so real. Of course, lets be honest she knew we were not from here and knew she could make a few bucks. So after spending 3.00 on breakfast, we continued our conversation which led to her telling us that she was a retired teacher. We told her we were teachers and that I was a pastor and she began to tell us how she grew up in a pentecostal family.

After several minutes, she told me that she had studied religion but in the humanistic sense. She said she knew nothing was 100 percent true but she knew the Bible had a lot of great things in it to align our lives with. I plan of going and having breakfast a few more times this week, so I can continue my conversation with Irene. Will you pray for her? Will you pray for more gospel moments with her? Will you pray for more gospel centered conversations for us, while we are here?

We went to lunch with Julio and Mercy and then spend some time driving around looking at possible lodging for our mission teams. We will be looking at some other possible ministry sites as well. Pray for our time with the schools we will visit and our time in Monte Largo and Dos Hermanos.

Reflections From Sunday

2011-06-15T15:06:00.002-05:00

This past Sunday at Gateway Fellowship, we discussed Altars and Monuments. If you missed the service you can catch it here at June5@GatewayTV . This week we looked at what it means to live our lives in such a fashion that we are SENT. We also reflected on all of the altars that have been built in our individual lives and the life of Gateway Fellowship Church. God has been good!! If you were not able to be here this past Sunday, you can catch the service here at June12@GatewayTV

We gave ourselves a challenge a couple weeks ago. We submitted ourselves to reading the book of Philippians as a way of reminding us about rejoicing and joy. The words "rejoice" or "joy" are used more than 15 times in this 4 chapter letter that Paul writes to the saints in Philippi.

Here is a link that you can use to read this letter this week::
Philippians

Here are a few ways to stay connected with our church::

Gateway Fellowship Facebook
Gateway Fellowship Twitter

Here are a few things coming up in the life of our church::

...Men's Breakfast, Saturday, June 18 @ 8am @GFchurch
...Jammies & Java, Saturday , June 25 @ 9am @ The Fonfara's
...Family Luncheon, Sunday, June 26 immediately following the service

ConnectGroup Schedule::

WedNite @ 7pm @ The Brown's
ThursNite @ 7pm @ The Snow's

I love our church
I love our people
I love our team
I love what He is doing in us
I love what He is doing to us
I love what He is doing through us

Reflections From Sunday

2011-05-30T10:27:00.002-05:00

Two Sundays ago, we discussed living a life of Joy. We looked at the statement found in the Wesminster Confession that states, "the chief end is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever". We read Galatians 4 and 5 and walked through some things that rob us of our joy. We talked about things like unmet expectations, unresolved conflict, and unconfessed sin. If you missed the service you can catch it here at GatewayTV . This week we looked at the story of Joshua and building the altar at Gilgal as a reminder of the hand of God on the Israellites and how He continued to be a rescuer for them. We asked ourselves questions like, "when was the last time God dried up the ground for you to walk on?". We also reflected on all of the altars that have been built in our individual lives and the life of Gateway Fellowship Church. God has been good!! If you were not able to be here this past Sunday, you can catch the service here

We gave ourselves a challenge last week. We submitted ourselves to reading the book of Philippians as a way of reminding us about rejoicing and joy. The words "rejoice" or "joy" are used more than 15 times in this 4 chapter letter that Paul writes to the saints in Philippi.

Here is a link that you can use to read this letter this week::
Philippians

Here are a few ways to stay connected with our church::

Gateway Fellowship Facebook
Gateway Fellowship Twitter

Here are a few things coming up in the life of our church::

...Men's Breakfast, Saturday, June 18 @ 8am @GFchurch
...Jammies & Java, Saturday , June 25 @ 9am @ The Fonfara's
...Family Luncheon, Sunday, June 26 immediately following the service

ConnectGroup Schedule::

WedNite @ 7pm @ The Brown's
ThursNite @ 7pm @ The Snow's

I love our church
I love our people
I love our team
I love what He is doing in us
I love what He is doing to us
I love what He is doing through us

Reflections From Sunday

2011-05-23T18:14:00.002-05:00

This past Sunday, we discussed living a life of Joy. We looked at the statement found in the Wesminster Confession that states, "the chief end is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever". We read Galatians 4 and 5 and walked through some things that rob us of our joy. We talked about things like unmet expectations, unresolved conflict, and unconfessed sin. If you missed the service you can catch it here at GatewayTV

We gave ourselves a challenge this week. We submitted ourselves to reading the book of Philippians this week as a way of reminding us about rejoicing and joy. The words "rejoice" or "joy" are used more than 15 times in this 4 chapter letter that Paul writes to the saints in Philippi.

Here is a link that you can use to read this letter this week::
Philippians

Here are a few ways to stay connected with our church::

Gateway Fellowship Facebook
Gateway Fellowship Twitter

Here are a few things coming up in the life of our church::

...Jammies & Jave, Saturday, April 28th @ 8am @GFChurch
...Family Worship, Sunday May 22nd @ 10:30am
...Family Luncheon, Sunday, April 22nd immediately following the service

ConnectGroup Schedule::

WedNite @ 7pm @ The Brown's
ThursNite @ 7pm @ The Snow's

I love our church
I love our people
I love our team
I love what He is doing in us
I love what He is doing to us
I love what He is doing through us

Happiness and Holiness

2011-05-22T09:28:00.002-05:00

How is it, people often ask, that so many professing believers have so little happiness in their religion? How is it that so many know little of joy and peace in believing, and go mourning and heavy-hearted towards heaven? The answer to these questions is a sorrowful one, but it must be given. Few believers attend as strictly as they should to Christ’s practical sayings and words. There is far too much loose and careless obedience to Christ’s commandments. There is far too much forgetfulness, that while good works cannot justify us, they are not to be despised. Let these things sink down into our hearts. If we want to be eminently happy, we must strive to be eminently holy.

~ J.C. Ryle

As the Westminster Confession states, "the chief end is the glorify God and enjoy Him forever". Do we as believers in Jesus Christ live our lives in such a manner that is worthy of the gospel of Christ? Do we honestly believe that Christ is more glorified in us, when we are most satisfied in Him? The scriptures call and compel us to live our lives as holy and pleasing unto Him.

Challenge: Live your life in the Freedom that Christ has given you. You are not shackled by your circumstances. Glorify God and Enjoy Him Forever

Something To Think About This Week

2011-04-19T21:02:00.001-05:00

Love’s redeeming work is done, Alleluia!
Fought the fight, the battle won, Alleluia!
Vain the stone, the watch, the seal, Alleluia!
Christ has burst the gates of hell, Alleluia!

Lives again our glorious King, Alleluia!
Where, O death, is now thy sting? Alleluia!
Dying once our souls to save, Alleluia!
Where thy victory, O grave? Alleluia!

Soar we now where Christ has led, Alleluia!
Following our exalted Head, Alleluia!
Made like Him, like Him we rise, Alleluia!
Ours the cross, the grave, the skies, Alleluia!
(Charles Wesley, 1739

GFchurch Update

2011-04-18T21:54:00.002-05:00

Join us for the 6th Annual Egg Smash on Saturday, April 23, 2001 from 10am to 2pm at Royse City Park. There will be free bounce house, cotton candy, snow cones, hot dogs, french fries, a huge egg hunt at 12noon and a few free gifts. Come out and enjoy this community event.

There are a lot of new things happening in the life of our church Gateway Fellowship. We are in the middle of our sermon series called The Psalms of Ascent. If you have not been able to attend services, you can catch up right here at GatewayTV.

This past Sunday we looked at Psalm 132:

Remember, O Lord, in David's favor,
all the hardships he endured,
2 how he swore to the Lord
and vowed to the Mighty One of Jacob,
3 “I will not enter my house
or get into my bed,
4 I will not give sleep to my eyes
or slumber to my eyelids,
5 until I find a place for the Lord,
a dwelling place for the Mighty One of Jacob.”

6 Behold, we heard of it in Ephrathah;
we found it in the fields of Jaar.
7 “Let us go to his dwelling place;
let us worship at his footstool!”

8 Arise, O Lord, and go to your resting place,
you and the ark of your might.
9 Let your priests be clothed with righteousness,
and let your saints shout for joy.
10 For the sake of your servant David,
do not turn away the face of your anointed one.

11 The Lord swore to David a sure oath
from which he will not turn back:
“One of the sons of your body [1]
I will set on your throne.
12 If your sons keep my covenant
and my testimonies that I shall teach them,
their sons also forever
shall sit on your throne.”

13 For the Lord has chosen Zion;
he has desired it for his dwelling place:
14 “This is my resting place forever;
here I will dwell, for I have desired it.
15 I will abundantly bless her provisions;
I will satisfy her poor with bread.
16 Her priests I will clothe with salvation,
and her saints will shout for joy.
17 There I will make a horn to sprout for David;
I have prepared a lamp for my anointed.
18 His enemies I will clothe with shame,
but on him his crown will shine.”

We also looked at Luke 19: 28-44 and discussed the triumphal entry into Jerusalem:

And when he had said these things, he went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem. 29 When he drew near to Bethphage and Bethany, at the mount that is called Olivet, he sent two of the disciples, 30 saying, “Go into the village in front of you, where on entering you will find a colt tied, on which no one has ever yet sat. Untie it and bring it here. 31 If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you untying it?’ you shall say this: ‘The Lord has need of it.’” 32 So those who were sent went away and found it just as he had told them. 33 And as they were untying the colt, its owners said to them, “Why are you untying the colt?” 34 And they said, “The Lord has need of it.” 35 And they brought it to Jesus, and throwing their cloaks on the colt, they set Jesus on it. 36 And as he rode along, they spread their cloaks on the road. 37 As he was drawing near—already on the way down the Mount of Olives—the whole multitude of his disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works that they had seen, 38 saying, “Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!” 39 And some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples.” 40 He answered, “I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would cry out.”
Jesus Weeps over Jerusalem

41 And when he drew near and saw the city, he wept over it, 42 saying, “Would that you, even you, had known on this day the things that make for peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes. 43 For the days will come upon you, when your enemies will set up a barricade around you and surround you and hem you in on every side 44 and tear you down to the ground, you and your children within you. And they will not leave one stone upon another in you, because you did not know the time of your visitation.”

Our Connect groups are meeting on a weekly basis and we are studying the scriptures together, praying for one another, and doing life together. It is truly an exciting time in the life of our church. If you are not involved in a Connect Group, I urge you to prayerfully consider joining one and investing in the life of the Body of Christ.

Here are a few ways to stay connected with our church::
Gateway Fellowship Facebook
Gateway Fellowship Twitter

Here are a few things coming up in the life of our church::
...6th Annual Egg Smash, Saturday, April 23rd
...Easter, Sunday April 24th

ConnectGroup Schedule::
WedNite @ 7pm @ The Brown's
ThursNite @ 7pm @ The Snow's

I love our church
I love our people
I love our team
I love what He is doing in us
I love what He is doing to us
I love what He is doing through us

GFchurch Update

2011-04-15T14:45:00.003-05:00

April 10, 2011@ Grace

2011-04-10T11:51:00.000-05:00

April 10, 2011
Grace Community Church
Corsicana, Texas
Steve Hayes/ Senior Pastor

SWAP.. Trading In Our Dreams for God's Dream

We are called to something greater than this.. We are created and designed to swap our dreams for His

As believers we don't just work for the bottom-line, instead we are called and compelled to work as worship
.... Worship is a lifestyle
.... It all belongs to Him and is for Him
.... We can not categorize our lives, we must worship at all times and in all places-everything you do is an act of worship

Scripture tells us- We are all priests and our body is the temple of the living God- so worship

3 Things To Remember About Work::

1. God can use your work to benefit the world
.... What you do meets people's needs
.... Romans 12:1

2. You can actively serve God where you work
.... Ephesians 5:5-6
.... Also- remember the life of Daniel in the OT "how did he serve?"..... Daniel 6:20

3. All of us are ministers
.... We are all servants and slaves of Christ called to be ministers of the Gospel of Christ
.... It all counts, every moment of life is a chance to learn how to live in the kingdom of God
.... You preach with your life (Lifestyle Evangelism)
... Jeremiah 29:5-7

See Your Workplace As A Sacred Place

Trent Brown
Lead Pastor, Gateway Fellowship

Spiritual Life, Greenville Christian School

Sent from my iPhone

"but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name."~ John 20:31

GFchurch Update

2011-03-31T09:59:00.002-05:00

There are a lot of new things happening in the life of our church Gateway Fellowship. We finished the series, The Marks of a Disciple and have begun a new one called The Psalms of Ascent. If you have not been able to attend services, you can catch up right here at GatewayTV.

Our Connect groups are meeting on a weekly basis and we are studying the scriptures together, praying for one another, and doing life together. It is truly an exciting time in the life of our church. If you are not involved in a Connect Group, I urge you to prayerfully consider joining one and investing in the life of the Body of Christ.

This past week, as we began The Psalms of Ascent, we looked at Psalm 120

A song for pilgrims ascending to Jerusalem.
1 I took my troubles to the Lord;
I cried out to him, and he answered my prayer.
2 Rescue me, O Lord, from liars
and from all deceitful people.
3 O deceptive tongue, what will God do to you?
How will he increase your punishment?
4 You will be pierced with sharp arrows
and burned with glowing coals.

5 How I suffer in far-off Meshech.
It pains me to live in distant Kedar.
6 I am tired of living
among people who hate peace.
7 I search for peace;
but when I speak of peace, they want war!

We discussed the fact that we are called in to a pilgrimage with the Lord. We are not just a group of nomadic people journeying from one place to the next, not really having a destination. We, as believers in Jesus Christ, have a destination. We have a home.
We looked at how this psalm or song, which was repeated by the Jewish pilgrims as they made their ascent to the temple, applies to our lives today as believers. We talked about crying our in our distress, about being surrounded by a culture that hates the things of God but yet learning to be in the world but not of it. We learned to love the things that He loves and hate the things that He hates. We looked at the fact that we have to remember the grace He has bestowed on us, in order to help us temper our judgments on those around us. We must seek peace even in a culture that may desire the opposite.

Here are a few ways to stay connected with our church::
Gateway Fellowship Facebook
Gateway Fellowship Twitter

Here are a few things coming up in the life of our church::
...Men's Breakfast, Saturday, April 16th @ 8am
...6th Annual Egg Smash, Saturday, April 23rd
...Easter, Sunday April 24th

ConnectGroup Schedule::
ThursNite @ 7pm @ The Snow's
WedNite @ 7pm @ The Brown's

I love our church
I love our people
I love our team
I love what He is doing in us
I love what He is doing to us
I love what He is doing through us

Killers of a Godly Culture

2011-03-04T10:57:00.001-06:00

Killers of a Godly Culture
Bruce Nielson
GCS LifeChange Week

1. Clones of the world
.... Romans 12:2
.... We must be transformed by the renewing of our minds, not conformed to the world
.... 1 Corinthians 2:12
.... We have not received a spirit of the world but the Spirit who is from God

2. Individualism
.... Romans 12:3-5
.... You are not better than those around you
.... We are one body
.... We are a community of faith
.... We are called to "do life together"

3. Relationship
.... 1 Peter 5: 1-5
.... Clothe yourselves with humility toward one another

4. Attitude
.... Philippians 2: 1-13
.... Have the same mindset as Christ Jesus
.... Servant attitude

5. Pride
.... Proverbs 11:2
..... Humility brings worship
.... Obadiah 1:3
.... Pride will deceive you

6. Bystander Syndrome
.... No discipline
.... We can not be afraid to hold one another accountable

7. Apathy
.... Rev 3: 14-17
.... You are neither hot or cold
.... You do not care
.... Causes you to have bystander syndrome
.... Matthew 7: 24-27
.... Build on the Rock, the foundation
.... Put the words you have heard into practice, do not be foolish and build upon the sand

8. Dusty Bible
.... Psalm 119: 105-106
.... 2 Timothy 3: 16-17
.... Scripture is used to teach, correct, and rebuke
.... Allow the scripture to marinate your lives

Trent Brown, Lead Pastor
Gateway Fellowship

Sent from my iPhone

5 Steps To A Culture Makeover

2011-03-03T10:55:00.000-06:00

5 Steps To A Culture Makeover
Bruce Nielson
GCS LifeChange Week
Daniel 1

1. Recognizing the need for a change in the culture
.... It must be a God centered culture
.... It must be Gospel centered

2. Knowing right from wrong
.... Do justice, love kindness and walk humbly w/ God
.... Live your life in such a way that is worthy of the Gospel of Christ
.... Daniel decided not to defile himself
.... We must be thoroughly equipped for every good work

3. Do what is right
.... Are we willing to choose righteousness
.... Are we wanting to be popular rather than respected? There is a difference!
.... Do we have a lust for laziness? If so, it leads to a life that has no discipline and stunts growth and maturity in our faith
.... Not only do we have to know what is right, we must do what is right

4. Bring others along
.... Mentor leadership in others
.... How are we living our lives? Are we pushing people towards The Gospel

5. Maintain the culture
.... Create and foster biblical community
.... Working together as the Body of Christ
.... Understanding unity in the body with diverse gifts

Trent Brown, Lead Pastor
Gateway Fellowship

Sent from my iPhone

Reflections From Sunday

2011-03-02T16:51:00.002-06:00

There are a lot of new things happening in the life of our church Gateway Fellowship. We finished our Authentic Church series a couple weeks ago and we are now three weeks into our new series, The Marks of a Disciple. If you have not been able to attend services, you can catch up right here at GatewayTV. Our Connect groups are meeting on a weekly basis and we are studying the scriptures together, praying for one another, and doing life together. It is truly an exciting time on the life of our church. If you are not involved in a Connect Group, I urge you to prayerfully consider joining one and investing in the life of the Body of Christ.

This past week, we looked at the third mark of a disciple, which is growth or discipleship. Remember you can watch last weeks service at GatewayTV, the link is above.

Here are the scriptures we studied this past weekend found in Romans 12. We looked extensively at verses 9-21.
This week when we study the 4th Mark of a Disciple, we will cover verses 3-8 and look at 1 Corinthians 12

Romans 12::
A Living Sacrifice

1 I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. 2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

Gifts of Grace

3For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned. 4For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, 5so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. 6Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; 7if service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching; 8the one who exhorts, in his exhortation; the one who contributes, in generosity; the one who leads, with zeal; the one who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness.

Marks of the True Christian

9 Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. 10 Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. 11Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. 12 Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. 13 Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality.

14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. 15 Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. 16Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in your own sight. 17 Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. 18If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. 19Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it[i] to the wrath of God, for it is written, "Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord." 20To the contrary, "if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head." 21Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

Here are a few ways to stay connected with our church::
Gateway Fellowship Facebook
Gateway Fellowship Twitter

Here are a few things coming up in the life of our church::
...Men's Breakfast, Saturday, March 19th @ 8am
...GF Ladies, Jammies & Java, Saturday, March 26 at 8am
...Sunday Nite Live, March 27th @ 6:30pm

ConnectGroup Schedule::
TuesNite @ 7pm @ The Snow's
WedNite @ 7pm @ The Brown's

I love our church
I love our people
I love our team
I love what He is doing in us
I love what He is doing to us
I love what He is doing through us

In Christ You Are

2011-02-25T10:30:00.001-06:00

In Christ you are…

• God’s beloved child (Jn 1:12: Eph 1:5)
• Christ’s dear friend (Jn 15:5)
• Declared perfectly righteous (“justified”) (Rom 5:1)
• Free from condemnation (Rom 8:1; Col 2:14-16)
• United with Christ, “one spirit” with Christ (I Cor 6:17; Eph 5:31)
• A member of Christ’s body (I Cor 6:15/ 12:27)
• The Temple of God (I Cor 6:19)
• Filled with the “fullness of God” (Eph 3:19)
• A “holy one” [saint] (Eph 1:1)
• Blessed with every spiritual blessing (Eph 1:3)
• Holy and blameless (Eph 1:4)
• Bought with an infinite price and forgiven (I Cor 6: 20; Eph 1:7; Col 1:14)
• Bathed with wisdom and understanding (Eph 1:8)
• The recipient of an eternal, infinitely rich, inheritance (Eph 1:11, 18)
• Possessed with the mind of Christ (I Cor 2:16)
• Inseparable form God’s love (Rom 8:35-39)
• One who will NEVER be abandoned (Mt 28:20)
• The beautiful bride of Christ who “ravishes” the heart of God (Song of Songs, 4:1ff; 6:4ff).
• One over whom the Lord rejoices, sings and claps his hands(Zeph 3:17)
• One for whom the Lord throws a party (Zeph 3:17; Lk 15:7-10)
• A recipient of God’s own peace (Jn 14:27)
• Filled with the peace and joy of God (Rom 14:17)
• One in whom Christ’s joy is fulfilled (Jn 15:11)
• Given direct access to the Father by the Holy Spirit (Eph 2:18)
• Seated with Christ in heavenly realms (Eph 2:6)
• Seated “far above all rule and authority and power and dominion” with Christ (Eph 1:21).
• Hid in Christ in heavenly realms (Col 3:1-5)
• Crucified, Buried and Raised with Christ (Rom 6:1-11)
• Made perfect forever (Heb 10:14)
• Made complete in Christ (Col 2:10)
• Indwelled by a fearless Spirit (2 Tim 1:7)
• One of God’s precious works of art (Eph 2:10)
• Indwelt by a spirit of power, love and stability (2 Tim 1:7)
• A citizen of heaven (Phil 3:20)
• Predestined to look like Jesus and see him in his glory (Rom 8:29; I Jn 3:1-5)
• One in whom God is working to bring good out of evil (Rom 8:28)
• Salt of the earth (Mt 5:13)
• A branch chosen to bear fruit (Jn 15:16)
• A co-worker with God (I Cor 3:9)
• An ambassador of Christ and minister of reconciliation (2 Cor 5:17-20)
• A priest of the most high God ( I Pet 2:5-9)
• More than a conqueror in all things (Rom 8:37)
• One who knows the truth and is set free (Jn 8:32).
• One who can do all things in Christ (Phil 4:13)

GFchurch Update

2011-02-25T10:05:00.002-06:00

It has been a few weeks since I have posted, but I wanted to try and catch everyone up to date on what is happening in the life of our church Gateway Fellowship. We finished our Authentic Church series a couple weeks ago and we are two weeks into our new series, The Marks of a Disciple. If you have not been able to attend services, you can catch up right here at GatewayTV. Our Connect groups are meeting on a weekly basis and we are studying the scriptures together, praying for one another, and doing life together. It is truly an exciting time on the life of our church. If you are not involved in a Connect Group, I urge you to prayerfully consider joining one and investing in the life of the Body of Christ.

This past week, we looked at the second mark of a disciple, which is group life or community. Remember you can watch last weeks service at GatewayTV, the link is above. Here are the scriptures we studied this past weekend:

8 He has shown you, O mortal, what is good.
And what does the LORD require of you?
To act justly and to love mercy
and to walk humbly[a] with your God.

Micah 6:8

34 Hearing that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, the Pharisees got together. 35 One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question: 36 “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” 37 Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’[a] 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’

Matthew 22:34-39

42 They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. 43 Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. 44 All the believers were together and had everything in common. 45 They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. 46 Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, 47 praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.

Acts 2:42-47

Here are a few ways to stay connected with our church::
Gateway Fellowship Facebook
Gateway Fellowship Twitter

Here are a few things coming up in the life of our church::
...GF Ladies Jammies and Java, Saturday, February 26th @ 8am
...Yard Team meeting Sunday, February 27th at 5:45pm
...Sunday Nite Live, February 27th @ 6:30pm

ConnectGroup Schedule::
TuesNite @ 7pm @ The Snow's
WedNite @ 7pm @ The Brown's

I love our church
I love our people
I love our team
I love what He is doing in us
I love what He is doing to us
I love what He is doing through us

Quote~ Tullian Tchividjian

2011-02-08T07:47:00.001-06:00

“I’ve come to realize that once God rescues sinners, his plan isn’t to steer them beyond the gospel, but to move them more deeply into it.” The gospel is not simply a once-and-done phenomena. The gospel is more than just the forgiveness of sins. It is the redemptive arc of God’s creation, fall, redemption, and the new creation"

~Tullian Tchividjian

The Gospel has to become the central focus of our lives. We must live our lives in such a manner that is worthy of the Gospel of Christ. As I continue to wrestle with the Scriptures, I am continually reminded of my need for the gospel and it's sanctifying work in my life. It is more that just the initial justifying, regenerating work. It compels me to live in such a way that my life matches my positional sanctification as the Holy Spirit progressively compels me to become more like Jesus

GFchurch Update

2011-02-03T13:59:00.003-06:00

We are in the final week of a series called Authentic Church at Gateway Fellowship We are walking through the letter of 1st Thessalonians and looking at the church in Thessalonica. The church there seemed to be doing a lot of things right and we are applying those truths to the life of our church and all that the Lord has for us.

When we complete our Authentic Church series, we will be looking at the "Marks of A Disciple".

It is an exciting time in the life of @GFchurch. Our worship times have been great and our people are engaging the Father. Scott Finch ,our worship leader has been doing a great job ushering us to the throne weekly with the help of his team. Our Children's Ministry Team is doing am amazing job weekly, in The Yard , sharing the Gospel with all of our children, not only through the lessons that are being taught but also through the way they model the gospel with their lives.

As a church, we are praying about a couple of mission trips in and out of the state and some other opportunities as well which will allow us to serve the very community in which we live. My recent trip to the Dominican Republic has once again stirred my affection for that country and what we can do to make a difference there

If you have not been able to be with us Gateway Fellowship the past few weeks, you can catch the services in their entirety here on GatewayTV

Here are a few ways to stay connected with our church::
Gateway Fellowship Facebook
Gateway Fellowship Twitter

Here are a few things coming up in the life of our church::

...Men's Breakfast on Saturday, February 19th @ 8am
...GF Ladies Jammies and Java, Saturday, February 26th @ 8am
...Sunday Nite Live, February 27th @ 6:30pm

ConnectGroup Schedule::
TuesNite @ 7pm @ The Snow's
WedNite @ 7pm @ The Brown's

I love our church
I love our people
I love our team
I love what He is doing in us
I love what He is doing to us
I love what He is doing through us

Quote~ Sinclair Ferguson

2011-02-03T13:16:00.004-06:00

Gospel Driven Sanctification::

The first thing to remember is that we must never separate the benefits (regeneration, justification, sanctification) from the Benefactor (Jesus Christ). The Christians who are most focused on their own spirituality may give the impression of being the most spiritual … but from the New Testament’s point of view, those who have almost forgotten about their own spirituality because their focus is so exclusively on their union with Jesus Christ and what He has accomplished are those who are growing and exhibiting fruitfulness. Historically speaking, whenever the piety of a particular group is focused on OUR spirituality that piety will eventually exhaust itself on its own resources. Only where our piety forgets about us and focuses on Jesus Christ will our piety nourished by the ongoing resources the Spirit brings to us from the source of all true piety, our Lord Jesus Christ.

Dominican Recap Video

2011-01-24T14:10:00.003-06:00

Here is a portion of the highlight video from our latest trip to the Dominican Republic with the students and adults of Greenville Christian School

Reflections From Sunday

2011-01-23T18:11:00.002-06:00

We are in the middle of a series called Authentic Church at Gateway Fellowship We are walking through the letter of 1st Thessalonians and looking at the church in Thessalonica. The church there seemed to be doing a lot of things right and we are applying those truths to the life of our church and all that the Lord has for us. It is an exciting time in the life of @GFchurch. Our worship times have been great and our people are engaging the Father. Scott Finch ,our worship leader has been doing a great job ushering us to the throne weekly with the help of his team. Our Children's Ministry Team is doing am amazing job weekly, in The Yard , sharing the Gospel with all of our children, not only through the lessons that are being taught but also through the way they model the gospel with their lives.

As a church, we are praying about a couple of mission trips in and out of the state and some other opportunities as well which will allow us to serve the very community in which we live. My recent trip to the Dominican Republic has once again stirred my affection for that country and what we can do to make a difference there

If you have not been able to be with us Gateway Fellowship the past few weeks, you can catch the services in their entirety here on GatewayTV

Here are a few ways to stay connected with our church::
Gateway Fellowship Facebook
Gateway Fellowship Twitter

Here are a few things coming up in the life of our church::

...Family Worship on Sunday, January 30th
...Men's Breakfast on Saturday, February 19th @ 8am
...GF Ladies Jammies and Java
...Sunday Nite Live 630pm

ConnectGroup Schedule::
TuesNite @ 7pm @ The Snow's
WedNite @ 7pm @ The Brown's
SunMorn @ 930am @ GFchurch (Youth)

I love our church
I love our people
I love our team
I love what He is doing in us
I love what He is doing to us
I love what He is doing through us

Reflections From Sunday

2011-01-11T11:38:00.004-06:00

As a church, we are walking through 1st Thessalonians during a series we are calling "Authentic Church". While in Corinth, Paul receives word about how the church in Thessalonica is doing and writes this letter to them that we find in 1 Thessalonians. Last week we looked at chapter 1 where Paul is encouraged about the fact that:

(1) their good works where produced by faith
(2) their labor was prompted by love
(3) their endurance was inspired by hope.

We picked up this week in chapter 2

1 Thessalonians 2: 1-16

1For you yourselves know, brothers, that our coming to you was not in vain. 2But though we had already suffered and been shamefully treated at Philippi, as you know, we had boldness in our God to declare to you the gospel of God in the midst of much conflict. 3For our appeal does not spring from error or impurity or any attempt to deceive, 4but just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, so we speak, not to please man, but to please God who tests our hearts. 5 For we never came with words of flattery, as you know, nor with a pretext for greed— God is witness. 6 Nor did we seek glory from people, whether from you or from others, though we could have made demands as apostles of Christ. 7But we were gentle among you, like a nursing mother taking care of her own children. 8So, being affectionately desirous of you, we were ready to share with you not only the gospel of God but also our own selves, because you had become very dear to us.

9For you remember, brothers, our labor and toil: we worked night and day, that we might not be a burden to any of you, while we proclaimed to you the gospel of God. 10You are witnesses, and God also, how holy and righteous and blameless was our conduct toward you believers. 11For you know how, like a father with his children, 12we exhorted each one of you and encouraged you and charged you to walk in a manner worthy of God, who calls you into his own kingdom and glory.

13And we also thank God constantly for this, that when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men but as what it really is, the word of God, which is at work in you believers. 14For you, brothers, became imitators of the churches of God in Christ Jesus that are in Judea. For you suffered the same things from your own countrymen as they did from the Jews, 15 who killed both the Lord Jesus and the prophets, and drove us out, and displease God and oppose all mankind 16 by hindering us from speaking to the Gentiles that they might be saved—so as always to fill up the measure of their sins. But God’s wrath has come upon them at last!

Here are the notes form the sermon this past Sunday:

How do we model the Gospel of Christ to those around us?

* do what God asks you to do (verses 1-4)
* ...... even if you have to suffer
* ...... even if you have to endure conflict
* ...... you have been entrusted with the Gospel and approved to share it!
* do it with pure motives (verses 5-6)
* ...... not with flattery words
* ...... not out of greed
* do it in love (verses 7-8)
* ...... be gentle
* ...... be affectionately desirous
* ...... share not only the Gospel but your life

How are we charged to model the Gospel with our lives?

* by walking in a manner worthy of God (verses 9-11)

What should our response be?

* receive and accept the Word for what it is (verse 13)
* become imitators of The Gospel (verse 14)

If you have not been able to be with us @GFchurch the past few weeks, you can catch the services in their entirety here GatewayTV

Here are a few things coming up in the life of our church::
...Men's Breakfast on Saturday, January 15th @ Soulmans in Royse City @ 8am
...GFchurch Ladies night on Saturday, January 22nd @ GFchurch @ 630pm
...Family Worship on Sunday, January 30th

ConnectGroup Schedule::
TuesNite @ 7pm @ The Snow's
WedNite @ 7pm @ The Brown's
SunMorn @ 930am @ GFchurch (Youth)

I love our church
I love our people
I love our team
I love what He is doing in us
I love what He is doing to us
I love what He is doing through us

Dominican Recap #6

2011-01-08T16:34:00.006-06:00

This is Jenny Schumann's response after our amazing trip to the Dominican Republic. I hope that these words will help give you an idea of how amazing our trip was and how much of an impact it had on everyone who was on the team. Here is what she said,

As we were on the trip and even before we left, Coach B, and Mr. Bowers told us that when we got to the DR, we would be in shock by the things we saw. Well, I was just thinking "Yeah OK, we will deal with all that, it wont be so bad". Wow, was I wrong. It broke my heart. Seeing all those kids, compared to the children we see everyday in America, it's just like what happened? How does it get so bad like this? And how can we help? I am so thankful that we were able to go on a trip like this. It has changed my life. One of the biggest things, that was really hard on me was just realizing things about myself. Like for instance, how selfish I can really be or rude, or how I said I can be in a bad mood or act like a brat over not getting my way, when I have SO MUCH. The children in the Batays made there own toys, they made them out of trash they found laying around, like the kites we saw. One of the things that shocked me the most was how happy they are. They're probably the most happiest, sweetest kids you will ever meet, and they have close to nothing. I didn't think I would be able to build any type of relationship with these children because after all... We can really speak to them. Once again, I was so wrong. We spent time with the kids and got to know what they like, how old they were, how many siblings they had, but even if no words were spoken, just by the little kids taking your hand just wanting to sit with you or look at your story board, just being so into what you were doing there, just amazed me. I miss them all so much. I find myself wondering what they're doing right now as I'm sitting in my safe, nice house. It hurts. But it was amazing to see God work through each and every one of us. It truly was an amazing trip that I feel lucky to have gotten the chance to attend. :)

2011:: Worthy Of The Gospel

2011-01-06T13:37:00.005-06:00

21 For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. 22 If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me. Yet which I shall choose I cannot tell. 23 I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better. 24 But to remain in the flesh is more necessary on your account. 25 Convinced of this, I know that I will remain and continue with you all, for your progress and joy in the faith, 26 so that in me you may have ample cause to glory in Christ Jesus, because of my coming to you again.

27 Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel, 28 and not frightened in anything by your opponents. This is a clear sign to them of their destruction, but of your salvation, and that from God. 29 For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake, 30 engaged in the same conflict that you saw I had and now hear that I still have.

~Philippians 1:21-30

This is where the Lord took me at the start of this year. Coming off of the heels of an amazing trip to the Dominican Republic and walking through the holiday season, The Lord has continued to stir my affections of Him. I have been praying specifically for what 2011 will look like in my life as a husband, as a father, as a pastor and in the life of GFchurch.

Here in the chapter 1 on Philippians, we have Paul addressing the saint in Philippi. Paul speaks about his imprisonment and the fact that most have found confidence in Christ, even because of His imprisonment. He goes on to speak about the fact that many preach from envy and rivalry but he does so out of love and in defense of the gospel.
Paul then says that "To live is Christ and to die is gain". He walks through the reason for his returning to them so that they may all glory in Christ Jesus.

Here is where, I believe, The Lord was speaking to me very loudly and clearly. In verse 27, Paul says, "let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ". This is what my life is to look like in 2011. Not that it hasn't and wasn't supposed to look the same way in 2010 but this year's cry will be "Let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ". As a husband, as a father, as a pastor, and in the life of our church; we must do everything in a "manner that is worthy of the gospel of Christ".

Continue reading in verse 27 and you see that Paul says, "I may hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel,". How awesome is it to know and understand that the scriptures teach us and compel us to stand firm in one spirit and strive side by side for the faith of the gospel. As a father, as a husband, and as a pastor, I am called to stand firm in one spirit and one mind side by side with my family for the cause of the gospel of Christ.

As a church, we must remain focused and centered on Jesus and His teachings. We must stand firm. We must stand side by side. We must be in one spirit. We must do it all, for the cause of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

May our prayer for 2011 be this. May we live our lives in such a manner that is worthy of the gospel of Christ!

Dominican Recap #5

2011-01-03T07:24:00.004-06:00

This is what Morgan Jones had to say about her recent trip to the Dominican Republic.

"All throughout the trip we were told, "when you leave the DR you will leave a part of you're heart here", and I always kinda laughed it off when they said it and never took it seriously but now that I am home and have been for a while, I've started to realize that I really did leave part of my heart there. I miss all of the children so much. Sometimes when we were playing with them I would get so annoyed with them crawling all over me but now I honestly miss it. Although I couldn't communicate with the children all that much because of the language barrier, relationships formed between me and several of the children that I thought would never happen. Since I've returned home, I often find myself pulling out my camera or going to Facebook to look at pictures from the trip. It kind of helps me relive the memories from the trip and gives me the motivation to help the children in the Monte Largo and Dos Hermanas bateys by prayer and also by giving money once a month to a child there. This trip to the DR really changed my life in ways I didn't think were possible and I am so blessed to have been provided with an opportunity to go and spread the gospel with many people in the DR"

Dominican Recap #4

2011-01-02T17:32:00.005-06:00

Here is what Josh Evans said about his recent trip to the Dominican Republic.

"I got money a video camera and a broken heart for Christmas this year. The lives of the kids in the Dominican Republic have broken me. The living conditions of the People there touched me and the power of God working in Pastor Manny and the church there has moved me. I wish that we could go back now."

Dominican Recap #3

2011-01-02T17:23:00.004-06:00

This is one of the responses I received for one of our students that went to the Dominican Republic with us this past month. His name is John Parker and he is a senior this year. He is what John had to say about the trip,

"It was certainly nice to be back home with all the comforts that come with it this Christmas, but, at the same time, it was harder to enjoy all the Ho Ho-ing and Holly Jollying when I reflected on all those in need this year (and I think that was a good thing). After our family took Communion after Christmas dinner, like we always do, I shared with them some of the things I saw while in the Dominican and i truly think, as a family, we all REALLY understood how blessed we are this year (which is often a foreign concept among many of us). As I promised, I tithed for the first time in a long time this morning and I hope to continue putting my money (and time) where my mouth is. In the coming weeks, I will request the Student Council put forth a contribution towards mission work in the DR and I personally will be giving towards the cause. This trip certainly opened my eyes to world I had previously ignored and now that they're open, I hope to never close them again. Best wishes to Mercy and Julio as well as to Pastor Manny and to all my Dominican friends. Happy New Year and God bless.

Dominican Recap #2

2011-01-01T10:14:00.005-06:00

I have asked some of our team members to share what the Lord did on our journey to the Dominican Republic. For many of them, it was there first time to be in that country. I wanted to share with you today the response I received from Beth Nelson, a fellow teacher and team member. I pray that as you read her words, it will help give you a glimpse of what HE was doing in us, to us, and through us.

"It's really funny....I thought I wouldn't be able to stop the flood of words describing my experiences when I got home, but I find that I still can't verbalize everything I felt. I still can't think about the kids I met.....let alone look at pictures of their faces....without tearing up! But the words aren't there. Maybe God is still doing a work in my heart, so I'm waiting. I'm especially waiting to hear what my role is to be in the future concerning the people in the villages of Monte Largo and Dos Hermanas. God has laid it on my heart to give financially, but I feel like it doesn't stop there.

One thing I can communicate, though, is the overwhelming sense I had in the D.R. of fellowship with believers in other parts of the world. I first felt it in our group devotions at night, when the two precious, Godly women who cooked our food each day joined us, even though neither one of them understood any English. I noticed that while we sang our praise songs in English, they worshipped the same God we were worshipping, even though they had no idea what we were singing! Graciela later verbalized, through a translation via Julio, that her spirit bore witness with our spirits that we were worshipping the one true God. Later in the week, when we had the opportunity to attend a worship service in Santo Domingo, we had the chance to join fellow believers as they praised God in Spanish. As we sang "Santo, santo, santo.....quiero te veo" ("Holy, holy, holy....I want to see you), I wondered if it was a glimpse of what heaven will be like--voices raised in many languages, praising the one true God!"

Dominican Recap #1

2010-12-31T15:09:00.005-06:00

I am sitting at my desk in my office at home and I am reading my journal entries from my latest trip to the Dominican Republic. I continue to marvel at how awesome the Lord really is. He continues to do exactly what He says He will do. He continues to meet me at the deepest point of my needs but has no desire to leave me there. He continues to push me further in following His leading. He continues to extend His loving grace and blessing upon my life and my family. He continues to show me that He is GOD.

Before I left on the trip, I read through John Piper's book, called Let The Nations Be Glad. It was once again, a beautiful reminder of why missions exists. In Piper's own words he states,

"Missions is not the ultimate goal of the church. Worship is. Mission exists because worship doesn’t. Worship is ultimate, not missions, because God is ultimate, not man. When this age is over, and the countless millions of the redeemed fall on their faces before the throne of God, missions will be no more. It is a temporary necessity. But worship abides forever."

Once I arrived back in the Dominican Republic, I fell immediately back in love with the country. This was my fourth visit and I am already looking forward to my return. We worked closely with Mercy and Julio DeRuiter who connected us with Pastor Manny and his work in the villages of Dos Hermanos and Monte Largo located in the San Pedro de Macoris region of the Dominican Republic. This is a different area than I had been in before but I really feel in love with the people of the villages and Pastor Manny's heart to plant churches in that area.

We spent several days working in the villages and had some time available to us to work on the church by putting in a new floor, painting the worship area, planting flowers and bushes around the church (so the villagers would understand that God's things are beautiful and need to be taken care of~ this was Pastor Manny's idea and I loved it) and then we were able to go and paint some of the houses that belonged to the men who worked and served in the church there. We also had the opportunity to lead a few backyard Bible studies in the schools and villages that we were at. Here is a clip of one of the villagers singing for us.

I will be sharing more over the next few days, and or weeks about our trip and all that the Lord has done in us, to us and through us. What an amazing journey the He has us all on and i am excited about what is around the corner.

Wow, what a week

2010-12-20T04:38:00.003-06:00

It is 6:39 am in Santo Domingo, and I think I may be the only one up. It has been almost two weeks since my last post and I have so much to share. I have been in the Dominican Republic with 14 students and 2 adults since December 11th. This is my 4th trip to this country and I fall more in love with it every time I come. I tend to always leave a portion of my heart here, when I leave.
The Lord allowed us to do some amazing things while we were here and I am looking forward to transcribing my daily journal into a blog over the next few days and weeks. We worked with the bateys called Monte Largo and Dos Hermanos and started some amazing relationships with the men, women and children of those bateys. Mercy and Julio, our Dominican contacts, were a joy to work with. I am really looking forward to our future together, as we schedule and plan more trips. We also spend some time with Pastor Manny and his family. They are church planters here in the Domincan. We are gettings things ready to fly back to Dallas today, so I have lots to do but will be sharing very soon all that the Lord has done in us, to us, and through us

Reflections From Sunday

2010-12-07T13:47:00.002-06:00

The Lord continues to amaze me at what He is doing in the life of our church. There is not a week that goes by that I am continually reminded why He placed us here for this chapter in our life. The conversations and prayer times that I have had after services the past few weeks, have all been subtle reminders. Thank you Lord. If you have missed the services the last few weeks, you can catch them here at GatewayTV

We have been studying the "I Am" statements that are found in the Gospel of John as we look at what Jesus said about himself. We see that He tells us that He is the "I Am". He tells us He is "The Bread of Life". He states that He is "The Light of the World", "The Gate" and this past week we looked at the fact that He is "The Good Shepherd".

Here are the notes from Sunday's Message::

John 10:11-21

11 I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. 12He who is a hired hand and not a shepherd, who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. 13He flees because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep. 14 I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, 15 just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep. 16And I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd. 17 For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may take it up again. 18 No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again.This charge I have received from my Father."

19 There was again a division among the Jews because of these words. 20Many of them said, "He has a demon, and is insane; why listen to him?" 21Others said, "These are not the words of one who is oppressed by a demon. Can a demon open the eyes of the blind?"

The Shepherd::

* is authoritative (sheep know and hear His voice)
* is a protector (He lays down his life for his sheep)
* is a rescuer (He leaves no one behind. He goes after those who have gone astray)
* is devoted (He is invested in his sheep, he commands authority, provides protection, and rescues us)

I will be leaving on December 11th to the Dominican Republic for a mission trip with Greenville Christian School, where I teach and Bible and serve as the Spiritual Life Director. Will you please pray for our trip and our team as we share the Gospel of Christ with the Haitians and Dominicans.

Zach Snow will be teaching on December 12th and 19th. He will be walking the church through the statement made by Jesus that He is "The Resurrection and The Life" and the fact that He is "The Way, The Truth and The Life"", which will conclude our series over the "I AM" statements

We will have "Family Worship" on Sunday morning, December 26, 2010. We will have coffee and conversation, as usual, at 10:100 am and worship at 10:30 am.

Here are a few things coming up in the life of our church::
...Pastor's Open House on Wednesday, December 22, 2010 from 7:00 - 9:00 p.m.
...Family Worship on Sunday, December 26, 2010

ConnectGroup Schedule::
TuesNite @ 7pm @ The Snow's
WedNite @ 7pm @ The Brown's
SunMorn @ 930am @ GFchurch (Youth)

I love our church
I love our people
I love our team
I love what He is doing in us
I love what He is doing to us
I love what He is doing through us

GFchurch

2010-12-01T16:54:00.002-06:00

It has been a few weeks since I have posted a "Reflections From Sunday" post, so I will try to catch up now. The Lord continues to amaze me at what He is doing in the life of our church. There is not a week that goes by that I am continually reminded why He placed us here for this chapter in our life. The conversations and prayer times that I have had after services the past few weeks, have all been subtle reminders. Thank you Lord. If you have missed the services the last few weeks, you can catch them here at GatewayTV

We have been studying the "I Am" statements that are found in the Gospel of John as we look at what Jesus said about himself. We see that He tells us that He is the "I Am". He tells us He is "The Bread of Life". He states that He is "The Light of the World", "The Gate" and this week we will look at the fact that He is "The Good Shepherd".

I will be leaving on December 11th to the Dominican Republic for a mission trip with Greenville Christian School, where I teach and Bible and serve as the Spiritual Life Director. Will you please pray for our trip and our team as we share the Gospel of Christ with the Haitians and Dominicans.

Zach Snow will be teaching on December 12th and 19th. He will be walking the church through the statement made by Jesus that He is "The Resurrection and The Life" and the fact that He is "The Way, The Truth and The Life"", which will conclude our series over the "I AM" statements

We will have "Family Worship" on Sunday morning, December 26, 2010. We will have coffee and conversation, as usual, at 10:100 am and worship at 10:30 am.

Here are a few things coming up in the life of our church::
...This Friday, December 3, 2010 is the GFchurch Ladies Ornament Exchange
...Pastor's Open House on Wednesday, December 22, 2010 from 7:00 - 9:00 p.m.
...Family Worship on Sunday, December 26, 2010

In case, you did not get a chance to see this, here is an article about our Food Drive in the community. Thanks @GFchurch for being the church on mission!!

Neighborhood event raises food for Helping Hands

By JIM HARDINHerald-Banner

Rockwall County — A Royse City Church held a neighborhood-based food drive Saturday to help Helping Hands of Rockwall County restock its food shelves.

Signs in Royse City led to a residence on Mockingbird Street. And in the home’s driveway were several boxes of food and another sign promoting the food drive.

Donna Webb, who hosted the food drive at her residence, said the food drive was sponsored as a community event by Gateway Fellowship Church.

Few Royse City residents dropped off food, so church members started going door-to-door. Webb said that effort was more productive.

“We’re doing this to provide a service to the community and to meet the community,” Webb said.

Several families from the church helped Webb and her husband, Max, with the project.

Here is the link to the article in the Herald Banner
http://roysecityheraldbanner.com/local/x2055606979/Neighborhood-event-raises-food-for-Helping-Hands

ConnectGroup Schedule::
TuesNite @ 7pm @ The Snow's
WedNite @ 7pm @ The Brown's
SunMorn @ 930am @ GFchurch (Youth)

I love our church
I love our people
I love our team
I love what He is doing in us
I love what He is doing to us
I love what He is doing through us

Quote~ J.C. Ryle

2010-11-30T07:37:00.000-06:00

It costs something to be a true Christian. Let that never be forgotten. To be a mere nominal Christian, and go to church, is cheap and easy work. But to hear Christ’s voice, and follow Christ, and believe in Christ, and confess Christ, requires much self-denial. It will cost us our sins, and our self-righteousness, and our ease, and our worldliness. All- all must be given up. We must fight an enemy who comes against us with twenty thousand followers. We must build a tower in troubled times. Our Lord Jesus Christ would have us thoroughly understand this. He bids us “count the cost.”

~ J.C. Ryle

Neighborhood event raises food for Helping Hands

2010-11-15T09:45:00.002-06:00

Here is an article about our Food Drive in the community. Thanks @GFchurch for being the church on mission!!

Neighborhood event raises food for Helping Hands

By JIM HARDINHerald-Banner

Rockwall County — A Royse City Church held a neighborhood-based food drive Saturday to help Helping Hands of Rockwall County restock its food shelves.

Signs in Royse City led to a residence on Mockingbird Street. And in the home’s driveway were several boxes of food and another sign promoting the food drive.

Donna Webb, who hosted the food drive at her residence, said the food drive was sponsored as a community event by Gateway Fellowship Church.

Few Royse City residents dropped off food, so church members started going door-to-door. Webb said that effort was more productive.

“We’re doing this to provide a service to the community and to meet the community,” Webb said.

Several families from the church helped Webb and her husband, Max, with the project.

Here is the link to the article in the Herald Banner
http://roysecityheraldbanner.com/local/x2055606979/Neighborhood-event-raises-food-for-Helping-Hands

November 12, 2010~RightNow Conference session2

2010-11-12T14:19:00.001-06:00

JR Vassar
The Sacred Call To Work

Ephesians 6: 5-9

....How does this change our view about work
....How we work as those who supervised other as well as being supervised by someone else
....Work was given to us before the fall

What is God's vision for work

People spend the most of their time in their workplaces
We must disciple them to use their workplace as a mission field

1. Identity is not in a position but in a person
..... We are bond-slaves to Jesus
.... We are someone because of who we are in Him not what we do

2. Work is worship
.... But you are not called to worship your work
.... We are called to work as doing everything as unto the Lord
..... No matter what you do, or whatever task you are given.. do as unto the lord
..... Work is sacred ... Do not preach the word if you are called to serve tables..... Do not serve tables if you have been called to preach the word ---- The Disciples had that one right!!

What are the implications?

1. Your work needs to be good work
... For work to be good it has an upward, inward and outward dimension

2. Your work needs to have proper motivation
..... Define the "win" in your work
..... must see that the Lord is the one we are ultimately serving
1a. Doing your work from the heart (integrity, diligent, and with excellence )
2b..Treat those who you work with, with Gospel humility
.... Treat others with dignity, love, and respect
.... The Gospel levels everyone and lifts everyone
3c. Work mindful of what the reward is in HIM
... Believe the Gospel
.... You will have no regrets

3. Work is a Gospel opportunity
.... Whatever you do as a vocation do it as a witness of the Gospel- adorn your work with the Gospel
..... Every portion of your life is brought under subjection of the Gospel

Trent Brown, Lead Pastor
Gateway Fellowship

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November 12, 2010~RightNow Conference.... Breakout

2010-11-12T11:27:00.001-06:00

David Kinnaman
From Unchristian to Christian

What we need to do in order to gain the attention of those who are unchristian

Scripture::

Teach the high standard of image-bearing to which Christ holds believers

Romans 2:24
Matthew 23:13
Matthew 5:16
John 17:23

Restore a proper theology of insiders an outsiders

Colossians 4: 5-6
1 Corinthians 5: 9-13

Rediscover the deeper meaning of the "offense" of the Gospel

Galatians 2:13 and 5:11
Luke 15

Trent Brown, Lead Pastor
Gateway Fellowship

Sent from my iPhone

November 12, 2010~RightNow Conference session1

2010-11-12T10:25:00.001-06:00

JR Vassar
Depending on the Holy Spirit

Don't settle for the results of the work of your flesh

Don't let intimidation lead you into imitation

We must rely on the Holy Spirit
John 20:19

You need the same resources
.... The presence an the purpose of the Holy Spirt
.... In Jesus' incarnation He became reliant upon the Holy Spirt

The people of God have to be dependent on the Holy Spirit to be a prophetic, priestly, people of God

God has to be intimate and in you rather than just among you

This is the promise of the new covenant

Our default is manufacturing ministries in the church - imitation
.....Imitation slays creativity

What would I look like if we began to experience the Spirit in similar ways as Jesus did with similar affects

1. Experience a confirmation of our sonship
2. Prompting toward ministry and an empowerment for ministry
.... Are we responding to the prompting of the Spirt
.... What are we forfeiting on the other side of the prompting by not responding to the Spirit

There must be an expectancy in our hearts for what He wants for us, what He want to do to us, and what He want to do through us
.... It is about posture!

Trent Brown, Lead Pastor
Gateway Fellowship

Sent from my iPhone